Soul Secrets
by andrhats
Summary: The events of Lumina finally catch up with them, and Sheik, Link and Zelda find themselves facing a new enemy that proves far more dangerous than anyone could anticipate. As Hyrule burns around them, they are forced into a fight they cannot possibly hope to win...or can they? Sequel to Soul Remnants. Contains yaoi!
1. A Letter from Home

**Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda, its characters and locations are all property of Nintendo. Any and all OCs and original locations belong to me unless specifically stated to belong to someone else.**

* * *

**Soul Secrets**

**Chapter 1**

* * *

The wind howled across the plains as the storm gained strength, the light drizzle that had wet the early evening turning into a heavier downpour. As the wind gained speed, the rain turned horizontal. Thunder roared overhead and lightning struck something in the distance, illuminating the land for an instant. Dead grass and trees, charred bones of homes and other buildings...and out there, a distant point of light—the capital city of Hyrule.

The fire burned brightly and cheerfully, but the group gathered around it was quiet and solemn. They were here for a purpose, taking refuge at an old, abandoned farmstead until the time was right. The roof overhead leaked, a small stream making its way down a wall and into the old, rotten hay. They listened to the weather, the seven of them gauging the distance from the storm's centre by timing the thunder and lightning.

They wore nondescript cloaks and cowls, their hoods drawn tight over their heads. Even though they had yet to speak, they knew each other by their gaits and sizes, and there was no need to reveal their faces. Beneath their cloaks, they were all armed. None had been forced to kill in this country yet, but they were prepared for it at any moment.

The air smelled of smoke and damp and mildew, and the old wood creaked dangerously whenever the wind got hold of it, trying to tear the barn down. They knew not what had caused the inhabitants of this place to leave. Likely, it was the weather. Nothing grew in these parts anymore, and the storms grew worse and worse. It was the same everywhere. Something fundamental had been changed the night the sky turned red and the earth shook, the oceans rose and the world burned. It had been over quick enough, but the effects could still be felt, even now.

The barn doors were thrown open, and six pairs of eyes snapped to look at them. The intruder was silhouetted against the backdrop of a lightning strike, their features obscured by the cloak, hood and cowl. The six around the fire calmed upon seeing who it was, and their hands left the hilts of their weapons, unseen beneath their clothes.

The newcomer remained standing in the doorway, studying the others for a few seconds. It lifted a hand and motioned for the others to join them. As one, they rose from the fire and followed the newcomer out and into the rain. The wind was nearly strong enough to grab them now, and it would likely get even worse by night's end, as they usually did. They walked to the edge of the farmstead, pausing at the top of the hill where the road continued in a zigzagging line into the landscape, invisible in the darkness. They gathered in a close circle, and the newcomer raised a hand. An invisible barrier formed around them, a globe of calm and tranquillity. The wind passed around them, silent. The rain stopped several feet above their heads, sliding harmlessly on the air and to the ground.

"Ah, that's better," the newcomer said, his voice clearly male. He sounded serious, but there was a slightly playful edge to it, as if one could _hear_ the smile on his face. "Brothers and sisters, it is good to see you again. It has been too long."

The others nodded, murmuring their own greetings. These were the first words they had spoken to each other ever since arriving at the farmstead one by one during the day. Only one added something to the conversation, and she sounded annoyed.

"You're late," she told him.

"My apologies," he said. "I was held up at the border. They had the audacity to ask for my papers."

"You killed them?" rumbled the heaviest-set of the cloaked travellers.

"What other choice did I have?" the newcomer said. "I carry nothing, after all. They were quick deaths, and clean."

"Good," was the rumbling reply.

"Have we learned the truth, at last?" asked the second female member of the group. Her speech sounded more like singing, rising and falling in tone and pitch. There was a slight glitter of scales within the recesses of her hood.

"We have come as close as we can without taking action, yes," the newcomer said. He held out his other hand, and a small ball of fire began to burn brightly in it, heating the sphere of isolation. "We know for certain that Hyrule is responsible. They have sown death all over the world."

"Deliberately?" asked one of the others.

"Most likely not," he admitted. "However, if the truth is as it appears, they are responsible and action must be taken. We have an obligation to see justice done...and restore order. The latter is our primary goal, but Hyrule will make it difficult to achieve that."

"So we get rid of Hyrule?" said the last female member of the group, a prominent western accent on her speech. "While certainly a tempting prospect, putting an entire kingdom to the sword will be...difficult."

"And a waste of time that we do not have," he replied. "The world is dying, and we cannot afford to fight a lengthy war. We have neither the resources nor the numbers. But we do not need to burn the country and kill its people to break its back." He laughed. "No, Hyrule's identity is and has always been in its royal family. Get rid of them, and Hyrule will bow."

"There is only one member of the royal family still alive," said a fifth member of the group. He was tall and wiry, and his voice scratchy. "The princess, Zelda."

"And she has yet to take a husband," said a sixth. "It is rumoured she consorts with her personal bodyguard instead."

"The Sheikah?" asked the singing woman.

"He is no longer her bodyguard," corrected the newcomer. "Though he remains close at hand, residing in Kakariko. He has built a fortress there, apparently. It does not matter who the princess spends her nights with—what matters is that she is vulnerable and weak. With no husband and no heirs to succeed her, Hyrule rests on the edge of a knife."

"So we kill her," said the burly one.

"No, that will too dangerous," said the newcomer. "We will risk the entire kingdom rising against us, a fight we cannot win. At least, not yet. Why assassinate someone when you can simply assassinate their character instead? I learned something very interesting when I passed through the city states of Lumina, and I believe that it will help us immensely."

"A smear campaign?" asked the westerner.

"Exactly."

"Will that be enough?" asked the tall one.

"If conducted at the right time and under the right conditions, certainly," said the newcomer, and their leader. "A few words, and the rest will happen by itself. Our task will be to create those conditions, and we start tonight."

"Already?"

"Like I said, we cannot afford to waste time. It will be a two-pronged offensive." He turned to the wiry one. "Take fifteen of your men and make your way inside the city. Cause as much damage as possible and sow the seed of doubt that will be the princess' ultimate undoing."

"And what seed is that?"

He handed him a letter. "Open and read it once we disperse. Write it on the walls, carve it in their flesh, shout it at the top of your lungs; I don't care how you get the words out as long as they are left in the city. I want to send a message."

"And the second prong?" asked the singer.

"A different seed," the leader said, holding up a scroll. "Not one of growth, but of decay." He unrolled it, showing the others the mysterious letters and diagrams drawn upon it.

"Are you certain about this?" asked the burly one. "The last time we attempted that, we lost control of the entire region."

"I have learned from my past mistakes," the leader assured them. "I will not lose control this time. And even if I do, what does it matter? It will only serve to weaken Hyrule even more, making our job easier." He looked at the one member of the group that had yet to speak. "What do you say?" he asked. "Will it serve as an incursion?"

The silent one did not say anything, but offered a minuscule nod in approval of the plan.

The leader nodded back. "It is settled then."

"What will the rest of us do while he's off killing and burning?" asked the westerner.

"You will infiltrate the rest of the kingdom, but do nothing until I contact you. Assume new identities and take jobs if you can. I will send word to the others and tell them to make their way across the border. It is important that we keep moving and ensure that no one discovers who we are, or we will all be killed. You have your assignments, and I wish you the best of luck."

With that said, the sphere of protection was dispelled, and they were once again at the mercy of the wind and rain. The group dispersed quickly, some taking the road towards Castle Town, while others did not. The leader remained standing on the hill, watching the distant lights of the capital, smiling grimly under his hood. It had been a long time coming, but Hyrule's reckoning was finally here. Casting a smaller protective sphere about himself, he unfurled the spell scroll again and studied its words and diagrams. Slowly, he turned in the direction of the nearest village, and began to concentrate. It was a difficult bit of magic, but he was almost certain of how it should go now.

Taking a deep breath, he begun weaving, altering the world as he saw fit, bending it to its will.

Yes, it was finally time.

* * *

The chamber was filled with the sounds of battle, the air heavy and thick. Torches burned, casting flickering shadows everywhere, barely enough to illuminate the room. The sound of steel against steel echoed in the room, punctuated by pained grunts as the combatants scored hits against each other, growling and hissing.

One pair of fighters stood out in particular, their movements more frenzied, more fluid than the others'. They circled each other, lashing out whenever they thought they had an advantageous position, throwing feints and parrying with precision. They matched each other perfectly, neither of them gaining ground against the other.

Then it happened. One of them tripped on the edge of the rug, not falling but ruining their balance. The other fighter saw an opening and went for a thrust to the other's gut. The one that had tripped lashed out blindly and desperately, and caught the other's blade inches from their stomach. Their grip on the blade was loose, and both swords went clattering to the floor.

"Enough!"

As one, the combatants stopped, sheathed their weapons, drew back their hoods and turned to face their master. Young and red-faced from the exertion, they waited with dreadful anticipation—they were only stopped when they made mistakes. They watched as their master paced back and forth in front of them for a while, studying each of them closely. Only one of his eyes worked, they knew, but the red orbs were still a frightful sight to behold as they raked over them, searching for the tiniest of flaws, and Goddesses help them should he spot one...

"You have all improved greatly," the master said, nodding to them. "However, the two of you..." he stopped in front of the pair that had disarmed each other. "You are still too reckless. Your purpose is to protect the realm and give your life if necessary, but as long as it's possible you should preserve it as well."

"I was going for his gut, just like you taught us!" the one who hadn't tripped, a blonde girl of sixteen years, protested. Her blue eyes glared at her partner. "That strike would have been suicidal in real life!"

"I was trying to save my life!" the sixteen-year-old boy argued back. His black hair was matted with sweat, and his green orbs were shining in the torchlight. "Just like you said, master!"

"Quiet," the master said, shaking his head and wondering why he had to be saddled with children like these. "You both made fatal errors. You pressed your attack too early," he told the girl. "And _you_ lost awareness of your surroundings. Both these mistakes _will_ get you killed...or horribly maimed, if you're lucky." His eyes left the two and watched the other four pairs of fighters. These were his oldest students, on the cusp of being put on active duty. He wondered if they were ever going to be ready... "You, Rafe, your grip on your sword is much too tight. It should be a natural extension of your arm, not a blunt object to be waved around like a primitive."

"Sorry, master," Rafe said, bowing his head.

The master said nothing for a whole minute, his students waiting for another tongue-lashing. Today's had been rather mild, and they were half-expecting him to launch into a tirade...and it seemed he would. He drew a deep breath, opened his mouth and—

The doors at the end of the hall opened, and two people entered the training chamber. Their reactions were prompt, and they all kneeled, even their master.

"Your Majesty," the master said.

"Oh, stop that, all of you," Princess Zelda of Hyrule said as she and her bodyguard, Tira Siress, came closer. She was wearing a simple outfit, a tunic and trousers. The only thing that could identify her as royalty was the golden circlet she wore. She walked with a slight limp, aided by a metal cane. The students knew it contained a wickedly sharp blade with which she was more than proficient. She had a gentle smile on her face, which contrasted sharply with the neutral expression on her bodyguard's face. Tira Siress, unlike the princess, was in full armour and ready for combat at any second, her eyes constantly scanning their surroundings. She was devoted to the princess, to a degree that only the master could match. "Please, rise. Don't stop on account of me."

"I was just about to lecture them," the master said, looking slightly frustrated that his rant had been interrupted before it could even start.

"Ah, so I didn't interrupt anything important, then," the princess said, beaming at his students. "I'm sure you're all progressing fantastically, despite what he may want you to believe."

"Can I help you?" the master asked.

"Actually, I would like to speak with you, if I may. In private."

"Certainly," the master said, turning to his students. "You are dismissed for the day. Return to your chores."

The students bowed and left the training hall in a single file, carefully shutting the door to the rest of the building behind them.

"My, they certainly are disciplined," Zelda said. "Reminds me of you when you were that age." She didn't let him answer; only sniffed and turned to the entrance doors. "Can we speak outside? It smells a bit...ripe in here."

"I will have them air it out tomorrow," he replied as they walked to the doors and left the chamber. The air outside was cold and brisk, and they remained on the balcony overlooking the courtyard, where several of the younger students were doing their physical exercises of the day, led by one of the older ones. The day was overcast, and a slightly gloomy atmosphere hung over the town of Kakariko.

They watched the routines for a while, neither of them saying anything.

"You don't seem surprised to see me," Zelda said, turning to him. "Almost like you were expecting me."

"I was," Sheik admitted, keeping a close eye on his students. "I have scouts all over the lands outside the town, and a royal escort isn't exactly difficult to spot."

"Do you know _why_ I am here, though?"

Sheik shook his head, sighing. "Apart from trying to undermine my training?" he asked wryly. "I assume it has something to do with the border guards who were murdered two nights ago?"

"That is one of the issues, but there was another one I had in mind, in fact," she told him.

"Which is?"

She looked around them, ensuring that no one in the courtyard was watching before wrapping her arms around him and drawing him close. "Happy birthday, little brother."

Sheik tensed slightly, but returned the embrace, cursing himself for forgetting such a thing. "Thank you," he said as they withdrew, feeling awkward. "I had...forgotten."

"Like you do every year," she said, laughing. "Twenty-five years old...how does it feel?"

"Not much different from twenty-four, to be honest," he admitted. "Not like Link at all."

He grinned slightly at that. His husband had not taken his twenty-fifth birthday very well, for some reason. He had never specified why he'd been so upset that day, but it was clearly something upsetting.

"I have yet to extract the truth about that day from him," Zelda said, shaking her head. "Especially since his twenty-sixth passed without issue."

"Maybe he has a fear of certain numbers?" Tira suggested.

"Goddesses know."

There was an awkward pause as the words sank in. It had been difficult to talk about the deities after the events of Lumina seven years earlier. It passed quickly, however, and Zelda broke the silence.

"Speaking of your husband, any word?" she asked.

"Not since he passed through Termina and visited Kaura and the others," Sheik said.

"That was six weeks ago," she said. "Aren't you worried?"

Sheik shrugged. "Not really. Link doesn't like going to the cities all that much, he prefers the wild. That doesn't allow for sending many messages, and Kaiza has a lot of trouble tracking him." He leaned on the balcony railing, looking down at Kakariko. The village had expanded greatly in the past few years, especially after the stronghold had been built on top of the Shadow Temple, the Sheikah seat of power. The village belonged to him, now, and it was his job to protect it.

"I wish he wouldn't leave so often," Zelda said, joining him. "I miss him."

"As do I," Sheik said. "But that's who Link is. Wanderlust grabbed him when he left the Kokiri Forest, and it never let go. I have duties that keep me here, but I would not dream of forcing him to stay. He's not meant to stay behind walls for so long." He smiled, remembering the last time they'd seen each other. "I'm sad that he leaves...but he always comes back, and that keeps me going. And if I get really impatient, Kaiza usually does find him eventually, and I usually tell her to peck him until he comes home."

Zelda and Tira laughed at that.

"So, you would like me to investigate the border?" he said.

"If it is not too much trouble," she replied. "The only thing I know so far is that the guards were killed with magic."

"Very well, I will ride there first thing in the morning."

"You won't use a deku nut?"

"They have...ceased to work that way, you know that," he said. "Feror's tampering with the world saw to that."

"It did more than that," Zelda said, looking up at the sky. It was a pale green. "The ash rains are becoming more frequent in the south, I have been told. The storms are getting worse. Last week, an entire fishing village was torn apart by a freak tidal wave. It pushed inland for five miles."

He had nothing to say to that. What was there to say, really, about the fact that the world had been so irrevocably damaged that it seemed to be trying to destroy itself?

"Are you staying the night?" he asked.

"If you would have me," she answered.

"Then the hospitality of Kakariko is yours," he said, smiling. "I will have rooms prepared."

"I can do that mys—"

"No, no, I insist," he interrupted her. "The students need something with which to occupy their time, and I'm sure they will relish in the chance to be of service to their princess."

"Like you?" she suggested, laughing.

"I would say I'm a bit more fanatical," he said, playing along. "That's what the rumours say, anyway. I'm surprised they haven't accused me of climbing into your bed yet."

"That's my job," Tira said.

"And you do it fantastically," Zelda assured her.

"And there goes my appetite," Sheik groaned.

"Oh, shut up, you," the princess said, slapping his shoulder. "I didn't say anything when you and Link were going at it rather loudly in the next room."

"We were teenagers! And you made such a ruckus about it afterwards!"

The activities in the courtyard stopped as the students looked up at them, wondering what had caused their master's outburst. A few of them were giggling amongst themselves, and Sheik made a note of their names for his big, mental ledger of punishment.

"Back to work, all of you, or it's extra kitchen duties for everyone!" he shouted. They continued their practice immediately, all too aware of how serious their master's threats were.

Zelda clicked her tongue. "So serious," she said teasingly. "How old are they?" she asked, indicating the students.

"Twelve," Sheik replied. "And already they are getting too smart for their own good."

"I'm surprised you're even doing this in the first place," she admitted. "I expected you to turn me down and absolutely refuse to train them."

"The only reason I accepted was because you gave me full control and let me set my own terms. No one under ten, only volunteers who fully understand what they are getting themselves into, no active duty before seventeen...and letting me end it at any time I see fit should the program turn out to be a failure."

"I remember the night I suggested it," she said. "You flew into a rage because you thought I was trying to create another Sheikah order. I thought you would say no anyway, if only because of what happened with Mugen and the others."

"I recognise the need for _spies_," Sheik said, emphasising the word. "That's why I am not training them to be assassins. What happened with Mugen...they started their training too late, and they weren't prepared for everything that could be thrown in their way. I won't make the same mistake with these."

"I understand," she said. "I never said they were to be assassins. Just reliable information gatherers." She wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "I won't send them into danger they cannot handle, I promise you that."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I hear you're preparing to graduate your first students."

"Yes, the ones in the hall when you arrived," he said. "They were twelve when they first came here..."

"You're worried about them," she observed.

"How can I not be? They are my responsibility, and I am not my aunt. Half the time I feel incompetent as a teacher, and I cannot help but wonder if there is something I have forgotten, that they are unprepared for the hardships they will face in the future. I find myself wanting to postpone the ceremony, just to ensure that they're truly ready, but..."

Her hold on him tightened. "You cannot account for everything, Sheik, and I am sure you've done an excellent job," she told him. "Impa probably felt the same way when she was forced to put you on active duty...and you did absolutely fine."

"Out of necessity," he said. "And with a great deal of luck."

"I thought you didn't believe in luck," she said.

"After everything I have experienced and survived, it's difficult not to. Even if there is no divine presence out there to watch over me, there is definitely something, because I have not lived on skill alone."

"Nevertheless, you are still here, and I daresay you have trained them to the best of your ability—which is more than enough for the tasks they will be put to." She smiled. "I promise, they will not be put in mortal danger."

"No assassinations," he said firmly.

"No assassinations," she agreed.

* * *

The green-clad warrior dipped his hands into the stream and lifted a handful up to his face, sniffing at it. After deeming it clean, he took a sip. He smiled and filled his flask, drinking deeply from it. He whistled, and his horse joined him by the stream, both having their fill of the cold, clean water.

The forest was thick around them, barely allowing any light through the thick foliage above. The air was close and smelled of rot—half of the woods were dying, and he was trying to figure out why.

The horse snorted and bumped its muzzle against the side of the warrior's head, snorting uncomfortably.

"I know," he reassured it. "I feel it too."

Something about the place made him uncomfortable, and greatly so. Every forest he had ever visited had always made him feel invigorated and at peace, but this one...this one smelled of death and harboured darkness instead of life. He was surprised he'd even found this stream, as all the other sources of water he'd encountered so far had been dirty and liable to kill him were he to drink it.

He filled two more flasks and placed them in the saddlebag, retrieving an apple from a sack and offered it to the horse. It chewed the apple with gusto, the atmosphere temporarily forgotten as it enjoyed the treat. The warrior grabbed one for himself, savouring the sweetness as he studied the spaces between the trees ahead of them. The path was getting narrower, and he had a feeling it would be too tight for his horse further ahead. Was it worth it to investigate, knowing that danger most likely lurked ahead?

A branch somewhere within the trees snapped.

He had his bow out and an arrow drawn within a second, aiming at the source of the noise. He tensed, waiting. Something was watching him, he knew the feeling, and he was staring right back. He held his breath, waiting for whatever it was to come charging out of the trees, aiming to kill him or something equally horrible.

Seconds turned into minutes, and his patience finally snapped, letting loose the arrow. It struck a tree trunk out of sight...and nothing happened.

Whatever had observed him was gone, having silently gone away. He breathed out, putting his weapons away and climbing into the saddle. He watched the path ahead, knowing moments like these were going to be numerous the farther in he got. He had no doubt he'd be able to defend himself, but the idea of leaving his mount here, all alone...

He turned around, heading back the way he came. Some risks were not worth it. Besides, he had seen a falcon circling overhead as he'd entered the woods, and he had a feeling it would start pecking at him if he kept it waiting any longer. It would be nice to have a letter from home again, he thought as he played with the silver ring on his left hand, the ruby shining darkly. He smiled and kicked the horse into a trot.

_To be continued…_

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**I guess I hate myself too much not to do this. The third Soul story has been started, everyone!**


	2. Catching Up

**Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda, its characters and locations are all property of Nintendo. Any and all OCs and original locations belong to me unless specifically stated to belong to someone else.**

* * *

**Soul Secrets**

**Chapter 2**

* * *

The dining hall was remarkably quiet that evening. Rather than the shouts and roars from some hundred students of all ages all trying to talk to each other at the same time, the only sounds that could be heard were the clinking of their utensils on their plates and quiet murmurs, punctuated by a curious glance towards the end of the hall, where the master's table stood on a slightly raised dais, giving those who sat at it a good view of the entire room. The subject of conversation was the princess, naturally. Zelda visited often enough, but she rarely had time to stay long enough to dine with them. Tonight was an exception, and Sheik had a feeling there was something she wasn't telling him.

If there was, however, she wasn't about to reveal it in a room full of his students. The silence was unnerving, in his opinion. Supper was one of the few times of day during which he'd accept raucous behaviour from the children in his care. He realised that perhaps it seemed harsh to not let the youngest of his students, children ten years of age, act their age, but given the task he had at hand there was no room for coddling. They had known what they signed up for, as it were; he had made damn sure of that. Should they desire to leave, they were free to.

Not that it helped the war orphans very much, since they had very little, if anything, to return to. Zelda had worked to ensure they were provided for, building several orphanages in the city and encouraging families to take in those who did not have them, but they could only do so much.

He tried his best, he really did. His students were well fed, clothed and given the best medical attention rupees could buy. They were educated in a wide variety of subjects, like maths, history and language. Many students came to him illiterate, but he made damn sure they knew their letters within the first few years. He also made sure the older students looked after the younger ones, and that they could always come to him if they needed to talk about something important...or anything, really. It had been difficult, at first. His first group of students had been the biggest challenge, and several had left after a few weeks. He had known nothing about caring for someone in such a manner, and had been alone most of the time. Link helped when he was around, but seeing as the Hero felt the need to travel more and more often...

He realised he had stopped eating, and that Zelda and Tira were giving him strange looks. He shrugged and returned to his stew, hoping that no uncomfortable questions were about to be asked.

It had gotten easier once the first students got older and could help him with the younger ones, and the stewards pitched in wherever they could—something Sheik ensured they were generously compensated for.

He disliked having servants, but Zelda had practically forced it on him after she saw how exhausted he was getting. Besides, seeing as he was a lord now it was expected of him to have a household, which included servants (he preferred the term stewards), guards and other such personnel. Kakariko was expanding quickly, and it fell to him to protect it.

"Why do they keep staring at me?" Zelda whispered suddenly, once again drawing him out of his thoughts.

"They know who you are," Sheik whispered back.

"Most people in Hyrule know who I am; what does it matter?"

"Once they graduate and become Eyes, you are the person they will answer to," he explained. "For most of them, that's years from now. Getting a glimpse of you now, and actually sharing a meal with you is...well, it's an experience."

"I see," she said, almost pouting. "I don't want them to be afraid of me."

"I will make sure they're not," Sheik promised. "They will only feel a respectful dread."

"Stop that," she hissed, brandishing her spoon like a fearsome weapon, her serious mask cracking in the face of the joke. "No dread, no fear—they will be my Eyes, appreciated and valued, even loved. If they'll fear anyone, it'll be you."

"I have to be, I am their master—"

"I was referring to your demeanour in the morning, but if you say so..."

"It is certainly a frightful sight to behold," Tira added, amused. "I fear for my life every time you visit the castle and it's time for breakfast."

Sheik sent a baleful look in the bodyguard's direction, but she paid it no heed, joining Zelda in a conspiratorial laugh. It caught the attention of the students, and they all stared in wonder at the head table, wondering what was so funny that had their master looking like he wanted to drown both of his guests. A look from him got their attention back on their food.

"They certainly are disciplined," Zelda repeated for what felt like the fiftieth time that day. She had spent most of her time at the fortress studying them, asking Sheik for thorough reports on everything from schedules to types of training to education. She wanted to know exactly what he taught them and for what reasons.

"They have to be," Sheik replied, again for the fiftieth time. "If they are to be spies."

The conversation flowed more easily after that exchange, Zelda preferring to ask more personal questions. How he was doing, whether he was in need of anything and other such enquiries. Then came the questions about the town and its defences and upkeep.

"Perhaps a wall would be a good idea," she said. "Should the worst come to worst, you will need to defend your people. The fortress is bound to be formidable when finished, but you cannot hope to fit the entire population in here."

"I have had similar thoughts," Sheik admitted. "But should I put in such a work order, I will need more resources than I have at hand at the moment, not to mention manpower to build it. Then, after it has been finished, I will need guards to man said wall, and they don't come cheap."

"If that is your chief concern, you should have come to me right away," she told him firmly. "I will send four companies of the Royal Army to man it. You don't have to front every expense yourself, you know."

"Kakariko is _my_ responsibility—"

"And you are mine," she interrupted. "Sheik, I have seen the work you do here, and it's fantastic. The population of Kakariko trusts you with their lives, just like they did with Impa, and you are clearly doing your best to show yourself worthy of that trust. I know building this fortress has taken a heavy toll on your coffers, and if I can help by sending a few hundred of my soldiers to aid you then I will certainly do so. They will even be put under your personal command, though they will remain mine on paper...salary-wise, at least."

"I don't think they will appreciate that," Sheik said, a little bitter. "The people of Kakariko might trust me, but the rest of Hyrule doesn't. I know for a fact that several elements of the Royal Army actively dislikes me."

"I know, and I will only pick men from companies who fought alongside you during the war. They know who you are, and won't object to being commanded by you."

He sighed, pushing his bowl away, no longer hungry. "Would it help if I said I don't like being in command at all?"

She sniffed. "Mmm, not really, no. You may not enjoy it very much, but you're definitely good at it."

"Thank you so much," he said unenthusiastically.

"I don't like being in command either, but I have to because I'm the princess," she said, rolling her eyes. "And if I have to suffer, then so do you."

"You're too kind," he replied. "How come Link doesn't have to do anything like this."

"Oh, he will," she said ominously. "Once I figure out exactly who he is."

Sheik felt a desire to leave the room at that point. The last time they'd had this conversation Link had been very upset, and Sheik didn't blame him at all. "You're still going ahead with it, then?" he asked.

"He deserves to know," she said. "Whether he wants to or not. I've put several historians on the case."

He almost groaned at that, but reined himself in so his students wouldn't see their master acting like a petulant child.

Several months earlier, Zelda had gotten the idea in her head to examine Link's past and find out who he truly was. According to the Great Deku Tree, Link had come to the Kokiri as a baby, during the war with the Gerudo, and was raised among them. The children of the forest remembered little of the woman who had delivered the infant to the Lost Woods, other than the fact that she had clearly been its mother. She had died soon after, and been buried where she lay. The location of her grave had been forgotten.

The princess was certain that Link was the last survivor of one of the great noble houses that had been destroyed during that war, and was desperate to prove it. Many birth records had been examined, but many more had been lost, either during the war with the Gerudo or the war with Ganondorf. As such, the research was slow.

Link had not agreed with the idea at all. He didn't want to know who his parents were or whether or not he was a noble and heir to a title or lands, and Sheik didn't blame him at all. Such things would tie the Hero of Time down, and a restless Link was an irritated Link, and an irritated Link was very unpleasant to be around. Not that the Hero was unpleasant on purpose, but Sheik could see how being forced to remain in one place for too long grated on his nerves.

"Fine," he said. "But if you do eventually discover something, I will have no part in it. Inform him yourself...and be prepared to face a greatly vexed Hero."

"I can handle it," she assured him. "It's not as if I am going to _force_ him to accept whatever comes with his lineage. I just don't understand why he is so opposed to learning more about his past."

"I don't understand it either, but he is not willing to discuss so I leave it alone."

By that time, the students had finished their meals and were awkwardly waiting to be excused. Sheik did so, and they watched as they silently and respectfully filed out of the dining hall and back to their dormitories. They would have a period of two hours of free time to do with as they wished before the last bell would ring and it was time for sleep.

Sheik, Zelda and Tira withdrew to Sheik's private apartments in the main keep and sat by the fireplace in his study. He had balked at the idea of having a study, but he had found that he quite enjoyed having a space that was his and his alone. He was starting to accumulate quite a large collection of books from all over the world, and even found time to _read_ them. That's what he did with his evenings when Link was away—he read by the fireplace. He wondered what Impa would have to say about that.

"So," Sheik said after they were all seated and had a glass of wine in their hands (Goddesses, he really was turning into a nob, wasn't he?), "what is truly bothering you? Apart from the incident at the border, I mean."

"What do you mean?" Zelda asked a tad too innocently. Tira's rolled eyes only further undermined her lie.

"Zelly..."

"Oh, all right." She took a sip of wine, then another. "I received a letter a couple of weeks ago."

"Who from?"

"Prince Leonthal."

It took Sheik several seconds to process the name. He recognised it, but not from where. "Leonthal..."

"Of the Storm Plains," she elaborated.

"Ah, yes, of course," Sheik said, remembering the name now.

The Storm Plains, as a kingdom, had only been founded six years earlier, after a rogue military faction from the Ashlands left and struck out on their own after disagreeing with the rulers. The Storm Plains was a tumultuous region to the east, wracked by the violent weather that gave it its name. Fertile, but harsh all the same, and even more so now, apparently, after the incident in Lumina. Leonthal was the son of the general who had taken his men and their families and left the Ashlands, followed by a large part of the civilian population as well. Information on the fledgling kingdom was scarce, and Sheik had a mind to put a few of his soon-graduating Eyes on the job.

"He is styled as a prince now," he offered as commentary.

"Yes," Zelda replied. "He is on his way to Hyrule with a large retinue."

He raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?" he asked, bring his glass to his lips.

"From what I understood, he intends to court me."

He choked on his wine, and there was a very awkward pause as Sheik tried to imagine such a thing happening. It was quite difficult. If anything, he always imagined that Zelda would be the one doing the courting should she ever find anyone interesting enough. Tira grimaced at the idea, clearly not happy about it, while Zelda herself had simply assumed an unreadable mask of a facial expression.

"Huh," he finally said. "I...did not expect that."

"Apparently his father has seen the importance of gaining as many allies as possible, and—"

"Uniting houses is the quickest and easiest way," Sheik finished. "What will you do?"

"What do you think?" she asked, shaking her head. "I have no desire to be courted by this prince."

"Then say no, tell him to turn back."

"I can't, Sheik, you know that. It would be a great insult to both the prince and his father." Zelda emptied her glass and poured herself another. "I have no choice but to receive him."

_Ah, the joy of being royalty,_ he thought. "What does the Storm Plains even have to offer us? Surely they do not expect Hyrule to ally itself with them just for gaining a prince?"

"Military support, trade rights, etcetera," Tira supplied. "The usual dowry."

"The worst part is that we could use all of those," Zelda admitted sourly. "Our neighbours are growing desperate—their crops are failing and their peoples starve. We have been fortunate; the weather changes haven't affected us as badly. They grow jealous, and I have already heard rumours of some of them considering...well, aggressive expansion. I don't think we can fight a war on more than one front at the same time, should it come to that."

"Now you're just being pessimistic," Sheik said, reaching out and patting her arm, trying to calm her. "True, perhaps the neighbouring kingdoms are struggling more than we are, but we are sending them food and other supplies to sustain them. Our military may be outnumbered by all of them combined, but they are far better trained and equipped, not to mention experienced. They wouldn't dare to break themselves against our walls. And finally, we are protected by the Goddesses—"

"But we're not, remember?" she reminded him. "They have been for a thousand years. It's all a lie!"

"But they don't know that," Sheik continued calmly. "And as long as they keep believing that Hyrule is protected, they won't dare."

Zelda had never told the public about what happened in Lumina and the truth about the Goddesses. The world was already in turmoil from the night it nearly ended, and the effects were still felt. The climate had changed—the world had become colder, wilder, and wetter. The fires that raged that night had been so large that the rain sometimes still contained ashes. In the parts of the world that had been the most affected, where food and other resources grew scarce, war had become a regular thing as the people fought over them. Faith in the Goddesses had increased, however, and in some cases it was only faith that seemed to keep the peace wherever war wasn't waged. Revealing the truth...would have unfortunate consequences. She didn't want to contribute to even more death and destruction, and so had kept quiet. The secret was clearly tearing at her, though.

"So don't worry," Sheik continued. "We're not at risk—not yet."

"Not helping, Sheiky," she said, looking a bit calmer. "I still have to deal with the prince."

"Receive him," he said. "Receive him, offer him your hospitality, but make it clear in a polite manner that you are not interested in his courtship."

"It is so easy to say that here, in your cosy study," she muttered. "Another thing entirely to actually say it to his face. Goddesses, I haven't even met him before."

"All the more reason for why he shouldn't object to his advances being rejected," Tira said.

"Not to mention that, in the eyes of the world, his father is a traitor and untrustworthy," Sheik said. "The Ashlanders are of Hylian descent—you can say that the only reason you're receiving him is because you are, in a way, kin."

"I suppose I could," Zelda said as she stood up and walked to the fireplace, staring into the flames. "I'll need help, though."

"I'm certain Tira could be of help in this," Sheik said, glancing at the bodyguard. "She has a personal stake in this, after all."

"Are you making fun, _Lord_ Sheikah?" Tira shot back, though the slight grin betrayed her amusement.

"Not at all, I am simply stating the truth," Sheik said.

They sat like that for a while in complete silence, with the princess staring into the fire. There was something Sheik wanted to say, however.

"I've been meaning to ask this for a while," he said, watching as Zelda slowly turned to face him with a questioning look. "Would you welcome a man's advances at all?"

"What do you mean?" she said.

Sheik shifted uncomfortably in his seat, emptying his glass for strength. "What I mean is...do you even find men...interesting? Romantically, I mean? Or physically?"

She seemed to feel just as uncomfortably with the question as he did, and Tira had stiffened in her seat.

"Why do you ask?" the princess said.

"It's just...I've seen so many kings, princes and lords come to the castle, begging your favour and hand in marriage...but you reject them all, even those with legitimately impressive offers. Sooner or later, people will begin to talk, if they aren't already. It is...suspicious when a prince or a princess seems to refuse to marry."

"I...that is..."

Sheik nodded, having received his answer. "I see," he told her. "Thank you for telling me."

"I haven't told you anything," she protested.

"No, but your hesitation did."

"It's not _that_, all right?!" she exclaimed. "I can...find men interesting. They're just so...few and far between."

"Which men _have_ you found interesting, then?" Sheik asked, noting that Tira seemed quite curious about this as well.

Zelda blushed, realising she would have to come clean, with her bodyguard and little brother both staring expectantly at her. "If I tell you, it does not leave this room, understood?" They nodded, and she sighed in defeat. "I've only been interested in three men in my life."

"Who?"

It was Tira who asked.

Zelda's eyes fell on Sheik, who gulped. "I had a crush on Sheik when we were children. Not too surprising seeing as he was the only boy I spent any amount of time with at the time. Or maybe it wasn't a crush...I'm not sure, all I know is that he was always more a brother to me than anything else."

Sheik felt himself blush at that. "And the second?"

"The second...well, I don't think that comes as a surprise to anyone either, but Link...I always found him dashing."

"You liked Link?" he asked.

"Who wouldn't?" she shot back. "You certainly did."

His fingers instinctively began to play with the silver ring on his right hand. The sapphire caught the firelight in a beautiful fashion. "Yet you did not pursue him?" he asked. He had to admit, the princess of Hyrule and the Hero of Time would have made an excellent pair...and still would.

"You staked your claim first," Zelda said, winking. "Oh, don't worry, Sheiky, it was just a crush. I wouldn't dream of coming between the two of you."

"And the third?" Tira asked.

"General Vortan," the princess revealed. "Though I did not realise it until a few weeks after we left Lumina."

That was completely new to Sheik. The princess hadn't shown any sort of interest in Rial while they were there, subconscious or otherwise.

"And again, just a tiny little crush," Zelda continued. She returned to her chair and took Tira's clenched hand and began rubbing it gently with hers. "What I feel for a certain bodyguard of mine is stronger."

The trifecta of blushing was completed then, as Tira's face flared up and her hand relaxed, allowing Zelda to toy with her fingers.

"A funny thing is that all the men I seem to like always end up having interest in _other_ men instead of women," she added wryly. "Is my taste simply that bad at picking up on it, or do I actively turn men to each other?"

They laughed at that, the tense atmosphere from before lifted. They spoke for a while after that, though the subjects remained light and amusing. By the time they decided to retire for the night, it was late. As they said their goodnights, Zelda gave him an unusually long hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"It has been far too long since we saw each other last," she gave as an explanation and went into the guest chambers she shared with Tira, leaving Sheik in the darkened hallway with a sinking feeling.

_Something is definitely wrong here,_ he thought.

_To be continued…_

* * *

**Mmmm, world-building!**

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	3. The Trap

**Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda, its characters and locations are all property of Nintendo. Any and all OCs and original locations belong to me unless specifically stated to belong to someone else.**

* * *

**Soul Secrets**

**Chapter 3**

* * *

Her fingers grasped for the dagger she kept under her pillow, her heart skipping a beat upon not finding it. She struck out with her fist, hitting nothing but thin air, following with a vicious kick that also missed. She opened her eyes just in time to see the floor rushing towards her—she righted herself mid-air and landed on her feet on the rough carpet, crouching low and clenching her fists, ready to rush at her opponent.

"Looking for this?"

Her dagger was dangled in the air in front of her nose.

"You're a heavy sleeper; you didn't even notice me reaching under your pillow."

She glared up at him. "Fuck you, Eren."

Eren grinned. "Such a filthy mouth, Nik. Guess that comes with living behind a tavern for five years."

Nikal made to attack him, but he pointed the blade of her own dagger at her and held a finger to his lips.

"Shhh, you don't want to wake up the kiddies, do you?"

She glanced around the dormitory. The other girls were asleep, their soft snores and sleep mumbling filling the room. They were twenty-five in the dorm, sleeping in bunk beds. She slept in the top bunk, and the girl below hadn't even noticed the commotion happening two feet away.

"How did you get in here?" she whispered harshly. "Boys aren't allowed."

"We're Eyes, remember?" Eren told her, flipping the dagger and holding it out to her hilt first. She took it from him, suddenly aware that she was wearing nothing but a nightgown, the cold air causing her skin to break out in goose pimples. "Our job is to infiltrate."

"I'm pretty sure that doesn't extend to the girls' dormitories," she said sourly, turning to the chest at the foot of her bunk and retrieving her trousers. She didn't care that he saw her in a state of undress—living on the streets had left little opportunity for developing a sense of modesty. "If Master catches you in here—"

"He won't, he's too busy playing host to the Princess," Eren said confidently. Even in the low light of the morning shining through the shuttered windows, his smile was annoyingly bright. "You know how he gets when she visits."

"She's never spent the night before," she mused, pulling the trousers on and fixing the belt. She had spent most of dinner the previous night studying Princess Zelda. She had seen the princess on several occasions before—the first time being right after the war ended, the day she rode around the streets of Castle Town, speaking to random people—but last night had been interesting. Master had seemed tense, even though rumours were that he and the princess were like brother and sister. "And Master was distracted."

"Probably depressing news," Eren offered with a shrug. "World's screwed up."

She looked at him, the way he bore himself. He was a noble, through and through, and she had never understood why he had volunteered to become an Eye at the tender age of eleven, much less why his father had agreed. Sure, Eren had brothers to inherit his father's title and fortune, but from what she knew of his family they were hardly the sorts that abandoned superfluous relatives. She had asked him before, but he always avoided the question.

As for herself, joining the Eyes had been a given. She'd lost her family to Ganondorf's forces and been forced to fend for herself during the occupation. After the war, she was given a choice—she could live at an orphanage, or join the Earl of Hyrule's new organisation that was still being set up in Kakariko. She refused to end up in an orphanage, and so ended up here, where she could be of use. It was harsh, but fair, and she enjoyed it all the same—far more than being stowed away in some miserable building in the city, that was for damn sure.

"Or maybe he's in love."

That brought her out of her reveries, looking at him with surprise. "What?"

"Master grew up with the princess," Eren pointed out. "He's a year younger, or so. Living that close and protecting someone for that long...feelings are bound to develop." His eyes found hers then. A silence followed.

"What," she said, smiling wryly. "Are you trying to hint at something here? Found yourself falling for me, have you?"

They had to struggle to keep their laughter quiet in order not to wake the other girls.

"You? Goddesses, no," he choked out. "I'd fear for my life."

"I think I just threw up a little in my mouth," she countered. "You're disgusting."

"But the Princess isn't," he continued. "And Master definitely lusts for her."

"Is that so?"

Neither of them had heard him enter the dormitory, nor had they seen him find a comfortable position close to them, leaning against the wall in the shadows. With wooden expressions, they turned to face him. He was wearing his travelling gear, Nikal noticed. The other students had whispered that he was leaving the fortress, but he usually announced it to everyone when he did.

"Master, I didn't—"

"I'm so sorry—"

They began apologising at the same time, but Sheik simply shook his head and shushed them, beckoning to the hallway outside the dormitory. He said nothing until the door was closed behind them, and they were standing in the well-lit stone hall. Torches lined the curved wall, a guard wearing the colours of Master's House—dark blue, vivid red and pale white—standing at each end.

"While I do care greatly for Her Majesty, I can assure you that I do not 'lust' after her," Sheik said, fixing Eren with a withering glare. "She is a sister to me, and nothing more. I will not hear any such lies spouting from your mouth again, Eren. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master," Eren said unhappily, blushing with shame.

"Besides, I am already spoken for."

"Have you heard from him, Master?" Nikal asked. It was no secret whose heart her master had stolen, or who had stolen his, but it was rarely spoken of as it had no relevance to their training...or so he claimed. Not that the Hero of Time was very secretive with his affections.

"Not for some time," Sheik said, indulging her. "I am not here to discuss my love life, however," he continued, indicating his equipment. "I am leaving for the border, and you two are coming with me."

That caught them off guard. He never brought anyone with him when he had a mission—their trials to become fully fledged Eyes were still some months away, and as such were not yet qualified according to him. In reaction to their questioning looks, he simply offered a shrug.

"I will not reveal sensitive details here," he said with exasperation. "Get yourselves dressed and ready for the road, and meet me at the stables in twenty minutes." With that, he turned and headed for the courtyard, his travelling cloak swishing behind him. "Oh, and Eren," he paused, turning to look at him. "If I catch you in one of the girls' dormitories again, I will follow through with certain threats a physician of mine once gave me. It involves scalpels and genitals. I will leave you to fill in the blanks."

Nikal burst into laughter once he was gone, while Eren had gone a little white and had to lean against a wall for support.

"Goddesses, he's scary sometimes," Eren muttered.

"That's what you get for mouthing off," Nikal said, patting his shoulder. "Half of Hyrule fears him for a reason."

"I didn't _mean_ for him to hear it," he said sourly, shuffling off towards the other end of the fortress, to the boys' dormitories. "I'll see you at the stables."

She watched him disappear behind the corner before heading back into her own dormitory. She lit an oil lamp and adjusted the flame so she could see without accidentally waking any of the others. They still had another hour or so of sleeping time before the morning bell rang. She quickly packed the necessary items for a trip to the border—warm clothes and washing supplies, and the standard weapons like her twin daggers and her short sword. She was unsure of whether or not she should bring her armour—Master hadn't worn his. After a moment of internal debate, she put her leather armour in her pack, deciding she'd rather bring it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

A flash of silver caught her eye at the bottom of her chest. Frozen for a second, she nearly reached out to pick it up, but made herself close the lid instead, willing her thoughts to centre on something else—she didn't want to remember right then. Dressing in the warm and sturdy clothing meant for the road, she fixed her weapons to her belt and slung her pack on her shoulder. She extinguished the lamp and left the dormitory behind with a slight bounce in her step, excited about the mission.

* * *

Sheik smiled secretly to himself behind his cowl as he watched his two students emerge from their respective doorways at either end of the courtyard and quickly head towards him. They had incredible potential, the two of them, but also certain flaws. Eren had a mouth on him that would eventually get him into trouble if he wasn't careful, and Nikal had a bit of a temper issue, though she was far better than when she had first come into his care.

They made a good team, however, and worked well together. Why or how this was, however, was beyond his knowledge. The two came from wildly different backgrounds, and at first they had been at each other's throats at all times. Perhaps it was an inevitable part of their interactions and their surroundings. Either way, he was proud of them and was looking forward to officially graduating them in a little while.

This was part of that process, he'd decided. If they performed well in the investigations and possible apprehension of the guilty party, then they'd be well on their way to becoming real Eyes.

Maladict snorted right next to his ear, forcing him out of his thoughts. He smiled again and patted his muzzle. The stallion was showing no signs of slowing down, even after that horrible injury he had suffered in Lumina and being ridden for so many years. He supposed it was a side effect of being the mate of Epona—her magic was a potent thing.

"You're three minutes late," Sheik said as his students came within earshot.

"No, we're not," Nikal said. "We're right on time, Master."

He nodded in approval. The last thing he needed was subordinates who simply accepted everything he said, negative or positive, without question. His Eyes had to be independent and be able to think for themselves—and if that required disagreeing with him, then so be it.

"Saddle your horses so we can be underway," he told them and waited as they went inside the stables and prepared their mounts. As he shuffled his boots in the gravel, Zelda and Tira passed under the archway to the inner keep, a massive stone construction on which the Sheikah eye was carved.

He had debated with himself for a long time whether or not he should use the symbol of his people for his new organisation, eventually deciding that it was the best way to keep the Sheikah legacy alive. His people would die with him and Kafei—or possibly Kafei's children, should he have any—but he would keep their memory alive by any means necessary. The fortress, build on top of the Shadow Temple, and his Eyes would be part of that.

The princess and her bodyguard were also wearing their travelling outfits. Sheik knew Zelda wanted to accompany them to investigate the border incident, but she had a royal reception to prepare.

"You're going to be busy," he said as they came within earshot.

"Unfortunately," she said, grimacing. "I just wanted to see you off. I'd come with you if I could, but I suppose a 'good luck' will have to do." She came closer, yanked down his cowl and kissed him tenderly on the cheek. "Come to Castle Town once you have finished your investigation. I would like the report in person."

Sheik shook his head, chuckling. "You just want me to be in the city when Prince Leonthal arrives."

"I don't want to face him by myself," the princess admitted. Tira rolled her eyes.

"A strange thing to say considering you'll be surrounded by hundreds of people," Sheik noted. Zelda ignored him and began to pet Maladict, smiling to herself. "And do you really think introducing your Spymaster to your potential husband on the first day is a good idea?"

"He's not my potential husband," she reminded him quietly. "He's a suitor; one I intend to turn down."

"Again, spies don't make good reception guests."

"You're coming, and that's that."

"I wouldn't argue, if I were you," Tira told him. "Your ears will fall off before you convince her."

"I never learn," Sheik replied. "Either way, chances are I won't even be finished with my investigations before the prince arrives anyway."

"If you are, however, I am ordering you to return in time," Zelda said firmly. She fixed him with a look that was all but pleading. "Please."

That was the last straw. "Zelda, what is going on? Why are you so nervous about this? I've seen you turn down dozens of suitors, all of whom have been more powerful than Leonthal and his father. Some have even threatened you—why would this make you so afraid?"

"I'm not afraid," she said firmly. "I just...I had a dream."

That changed everything. At first he'd thought his sister was uncharacteristically apprehensive about turning down a man's advances, but if she'd had another prophetic dream... "What about?" he asked.

"I..." She looked around the courtyard, heard the quiet conversation between Eren and Nikal in the stables as they prepared their horses. Sheik cursed inwardly, knowing she'd never reveal anything as long as someone could hear it. "I will tell you everything when you arrive, all right? I promise, no details will be left out."

He'd never get it out of her by force, he knew. Zelda could have been put through the wringer by Hatra, Ganondorf's former master torturer, and not reveal a speck of truth to him. It was a skill one had no choice but to learn during an upbringing like hers. Admitting temporary defeat, he nodded. "Very well, I will come to Castle Town once I have finished the border investigation. I will be bringing two of my students as well."

"That is fine," Zelda said, smiling as Eren and Nikal emerged, leading their saddled mounts. "Good morning," she said brightly.

"Your Majesty," they said in unison, beginning to kneel. Zelda would have none of it, however, and put her hands on a shoulder of each, studying them.

"Now, now, none of this," she told them. "It's too early in the morning and I'm not in the mood." She looked them both in the face. "Eren and...Nikal, correct?" she asked. "I remember you—you were among the first students to arrive here, are you not?"

"Yes, Your Grace," Eren replied. His noble background kicked in immediately he realised he was in the princess' presence, Sheik noted. His posture was rigid, his tone respectful and slightly submissive. Nikal carried herself suitably as well, though it was not nearly as practiced as her friend's.

"And you are graduating soon?"

"Six months, Your Grace," Nikal said. "If things go according to plan."

"Knowing your master, they won't," the princess said, winking mischievously at them. "I've never known him to put together a plan that does not go wrong in at least one aspect."

"Kindly stop undermining my authority," Sheik said, grimacing under his cowl, which he'd pulled back up. It was all fun and games for Zelda, but he would actually have to deal with any insubordinate behaviour these interactions spawned.

"Oh, pfft," Zelda said, turning to him. "It's not like _my_ plans don't fail from time to time. You simply have very bad luck, which makes your plans fail worse."

"He usually salvages them in spectacular fashion, however," Tira said, stepping in to defend him from Zelda's ribbing. She was on the verge of laughing, so it wasn't as effective as he'd hoped.

"Without your master the world have looked quite different today," Zelda said genuinely. "We all owe him our lives. You are lucky to be trained by him."

"We have no doubt about that, Your Grace," Eren replied, nodding stiffly.

"Well, I look forward to seeing you both in the capital," the princess said, inclining her head in a suitably royal fashion—in her case, barely royal at all—and turned back to Sheik. "Good luck, Sheik, and be careful."

"Thank you, and we will," he promised her.

* * *

The air rushing by was freezing as they rode out of the courtyard and through the town of Kakariko. Even with the streets completely clear, save for a few patrolling guards here and there, it still took them fifteen minutes to leave the town at a full gallop. The wide river running from Zora's Domain was considered the city border, and by the time they crossed the large bridge the sun was starting to crest the hills, almost hidden away by the dense layer of clouds. It wouldn't last long, and they were in for another cold day—just like every other day of this summer.

_At least it's not raining...yet,_ Sheik thought, eyeing the clouds warily.

"So, where are we going, Master?" Nikal asked when they slowed down to a fast walk.

"To the southern border," Sheik replied. "It will take us a few days to get there."

"We are investigating something?" Eren said.

"Correct. Three nights ago, a guard post was completely decimated by an unknown assailant, leaving no survivors. The other patrols haven't been able to uncover any information of note, so the princess assigned me to take a closer look and see if I can learn something the guards haven't." Sheik looked at them both, riding slightly behind him. "This will be valuable experience for you both, and gives me a chance to evaluate your detecting and tracking skills."

"What _do_ we know about the attack?" Nikal asked. She was fidgeting with her gloves.

"Only that the guards were not murdered by normal means," he answered. _The rest you will have to figure out for yourselves, _he thought.

The idea of taking the two of them with him had struck him just before he'd gone to sleep the night before, and so far it seemed to have been a good one. Regardless of whether or not they'd be able to find out what had happened at the border, having company on the road alone made it worth it. It'd be a good distraction from his worries, as well. His newest addition to that collection being Zelda's dream. He would be speculating about it until it was revealed him, and hopefully Eren and Nikal would stop him from exhausting himself mentally.

They rode for most of the day in silence, though it was far from awkward. Eren and Nikal had never been to the southern part of Hyrule before, and so far they seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely. Sheik's students were allowed to roam Kakariko to their heart's content on their free time, but they were not allowed to leave the town—the fields of Hyrule were dangerous these days. This was the first time they'd been out of Kakariko since coming there, and the looks of unbridled glee on their faces made him wish he'd found a reason to bring them out earlier.

_Perhaps I should organise some trips for all the students after this,_ he thought. _Impa let me roam freely within certain limits, after all._

His chief concern was their safety, however, and he would have to plan it all carefully. By the time they made camp, he already had a plan made for an excursion to Castle Town. After all, why should only Eren and Nikal be allowed to see the city that would most likely be their home—or at least base of operations—once they became Eyes?

Eren and Nikal were eagerly discussing the things they had seen that day as they ate their supper among an ancient group of standing stones, a long forgotten monument from older days. They provided excellent shelter from the winds that ravaged the fields at night—even lighting a fire had been simple. Sheik reclined against a rock covered in soft moss, listening to their conversation and mentally composing his next letter to Link. Kaiza hadn't returned yet, which meant that Link hadn't received his previous one, but he still liked being prepared. He smiled. It was amusing, how excited his charges were about seeing a bunch of abandoned farmsteads, tiny villages and burned-out buildings that had yet to be knocked down after the war.

"Master?"

"Hm?" he looked up, finding both of them looking at him curiously.

"Which song is that?"

_What song?_ Had he been humming?

"It went like this," Eren said, humming an off-tune version of the Minuet of Forest that almost made Sheik shudder. Eren was one of the least musical people he'd ever met, but it didn't seem to stop the boy from working his pipes whenever he thought no one was listening.

"It...it is a song that has special meaning to me," Sheik replied. To him, it was Link's song. It was so inextricably linked (ha-ha) to the Hero of Time, in his mind, that he could not help but hear it in his head whenever he thought of him. "It's one of the temple songs."

"You taught it to the Hero?" Nikal asked.

"Indeed I did," Sheik confirmed. "It was the first song I ever taught him, in fact. The Ocarina of Time allowed him to magically warp to the Forest Temple whenever he played it. All the temple songs let him do that."

_Oh, damn..._

He hadn't seen the trap before it was too late. By now, their eyes were shining with curiosity and barely concealed begging. They always did, those two. They wanted him to tell stories of his adventures with Link, something he always tried to resist—and he always failed. He supposed they'd earned it, somehow. Sighing, he retrieved his lyre (a gift from Kafei) from his pack and strummed the strings lightly. "Only one," he warned them.

"Of course!"

He began playing the Minuet of Forest as he tried to find the words. "The Hero of Time had just navigated his way through the maze of the Sacred Forest Meadow, defeating the evil creatures Ganondorf had charged to guard the passage..."

_To be continued…_

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**Can't help it, I like writing fluff!**

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	4. The Border

**Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda, its characters and locations are all property of Nintendo. Any and all OCs and original locations belong to me unless specifically stated to belong to someone else.**

* * *

**Soul Secrets**

**Chapter 4**

* * *

There was nothing left. Where there should have been a great pair of several inches thick oak doors, barring the way of those who would intrude upon Hyrule, there was nothing. The gargantuan metal hinges were twisted and deformed, pools of molten metal that had since cooled and solidified covering the ground beneath. The stone archway that had housed the doors was burnt black, more pools of slag littering the cobbles.

The guardhouse next to it had been reduced to nothing but a charred skeleton; its support beams ready to collapse at any second. The stables were gone, a dark scorch mark in the grass where it had once stood—nothing left but a sad collection of bones that had once been horses.

"Goddesses..."

Eren had yet to close his mouth, and his continued muttering and swearing by the deities showing no signs of stopping.

Nikal was quiet, but her wide eyes displayed her shock all the same.

Sheik was quite unnerved himself; it had been a long time since he had seen damage on a scale like this. What bothered him wasn't the destroyed border gate, the burned guardhouse or the vaporised stables. No, it was the bodies. He had expected to find the burned remains of the guards littering the area, not concentrated in a circle just in front of the gate.

"And this is how your troops found them?" he asked the soldier next to him. Captain Rilund adjusted his position in the saddle, looking uncomfortable.

"Aye," he replied, nervously pulling at his moustache, which was showing signs of greying. "Heard a great clamour all the way to the Water Gate, and I sent 'em to take a look. Told me they saw a great ball of fire enveloping the post. It was over by the time they got here, and they found...this." He motioned to the circle of dead soldiers. "Not a single man alive." The captain was trying not to look at the body in the middle of the circle...or the stake it had been skewered on...or what was left of the whole thing, in reality.

Sheik dismounted Maladict and motioned for his students to do the same. It took them a couple of seconds to start moving, and Sheik reminded himself that he had to be patient. Neither of them were strangers to death, especially not Nikal, but they were unaccustomed to this sort of...macabre displays. He kneeled down by a body and examined it.

"Eren, Nikal, what can you tell me about these men?" he asked.

His students joined him, and spent the next minute in silence as they studied the corpses, looking more than a little green around the gills. Perhaps it was unfair of him to throw them right into the fire like this, but they had to learn at some point.

"Privates, and a pair of sergeants, by their uniforms and armour," Nikal said.

"Burned to death," Eren added. "By the fire that took out the gate?"

"A good conclusion, had it not been for one thing," Sheik said, pointing at the corpse's mouth. "The skin on the outside is relatively intact, but look inside...all black and charred. What does that tell you?"

Nikal drew a sharp breath. "They were...they were burnt from the inside!"

"Correct," Sheik said, nodding. "Fires like the one that took out the gate, guardhouse and stables can be created with gunpowder and oil. The sort of fire that could burn someone only on the inside, however...well..."

"Magic," Eren said.

"Yes, and powerful magic at that," Sheik continued, standing up. "The fireball your men saw destroyed the buildings, Captain Rilund, but these guards were killed afterwards."

"And...and their captain?" Rilund asked nervously.

Sheik laid his eyes on the stake. Nothing but the torso of the gate's captain, Teir, remained. His flesh was untouched by the fires, pink and bloody.

"The rest of him?" Sheik asked.

"His arms are on top of the wall," Rilund said, pointing at the tall barrier that separated Hyrule from the rest of the world, on either side of the archway. "His legs in front of the guardhouse. His head...we've yet to find it."

Sheik nodded. "Vicious. What does that tell us?"

"They wanted to send a message?" Eren suggested.

"Possibly, but what message would that be?"

"I...er..."

"A threat?" Nikal said. "Towards Hyrule, perhaps?"

"Anyone who is capable of this is a threat to Hyrule regardless of the message," Sheik said, nodding at them. "Truth be told, I don't think this is a threat towards anyone specific. It is more of a statement of what the guilty party is capable of. And perhaps a subtle way of telling us to catch them if we can."

His skin tingled with the residual burst of magic that had been unleashed here, which worried him greatly. The kind of warlock or witch capable of such a feat would be of a rare breed, and immensely dangerous. Perhaps on the level of Vorpheus in his prime.

"Let us see what else we can find," he told them. "Spread out and search."

"And what should we do?" Captain Rilund asked. Sheik looked at him and his men. The border guards were all mounted, looking unhappy at the destruction surrounding them. Half of them were most likely disgusted by Sheik's very presence, while the others were simply distrustful. Rilund was just afraid of him.

"Guard the area, and render assistance should my students require it," Sheik said as he walked to the wall, touching the rough stone with a gloved hand. The ladders and walkways had been burned away. "How do you know Teir's arms are up there, captain?" he asked.

"One of my boys climbed the wall, my lord," Rilund replied. "He didn't touch them, though."

"I see," Sheik said, finding both hand- and footholds. With a grunt, he began to climb, quickly scaling the wall. As he pulled himself up over the parapet and stood, he became aware of the sweet stench of rotting flesh. Sure enough, one of Teir's arms lay in a blackened pool of blood, its fingers clenched in a fist, as if fighting the opponent that had killed its owner still. The other lay on the other side of the archway, though the stonework looked so weakened that Sheik didn't take the chance of walking to it. Instead he picked up the arm closest to him.

_Vicious_, he thought. _And spiteful. Teir wasn't cut into pieces, but torn apart._

He noticed something yellow sticking out between the fingers and tried to pry them open. They gave way with a sickening crack, and he saw that it was a piece of cloth—ancient and faded, almost falling apart from decay. Something had been painted on the yellowed surface. A burning star with six rays of light, painted in a faint and cracked brown Sheik didn't even need to examine to know it was blood.

_This is new,_ he thought, trying to remember if he'd ever seen such a symbol before. There were plenty of organisations and nations who used the sun and stars for their banners, but he'd never seen one like this. There was something...malevolent about this particular star, and it had nothing to do with the fact that it was painted in blood.

He looked out over the land. Fields stretched out in all directions, a veritable sea of green grass with the occasional reef of trees sticking out of it. The cobbled road leading to Hyrule revealed no tracks, nor did the muddy paths leading from the guardhouse and further into the kingdom, too numerous and well-travelled to reveal any specific leads. Of course, that would have been too easy. Sheik sighed and decided to climb down.

"Captain, catch!"

Rilund looked perturbed as he caught Captain Teir's arms. There was probably a far more dignified way of getting the deceased captain's arms down from the wall, but Sheik had no time for it. He climbed down and joined Nikal, who was rooting through the wreckage of the guardhouse with Eren. Two of Rilund's guards were helping them, lifting the remains of tables and beds and other furniture. The cells and armoury were found in the basement of the building, and they were trying to clear a way down there.

"One of the guards is missing, Master," Nikal explained. "There are fourteen bodies, but there should be fifteen."

"And you think he or she might be down there?" Sheik asked.

"It's worth a shot, isn't it?" Eren said.

"Absolutely," Sheik replied, nodding. "Leave no stone unturned."

The air smelled of burned wood and flesh, nearly taking the breath out of them. It felt like it settled inside their noses and down their throats, until it was as if they were inhaling the dust and ash. They found personal effects in the debris—chests containing letters and messages, purses containing rupees that were certainly being saved for when they were relieved of duty and would go into town. Had the men here even known what was happening when they died? In what order had they been killed? Had Teir been first, made an example as he was torn into pieces? Or had he been forced to watch as his men were incinerated internally, the flames lighting them up like macabre lanterns?

Either way, this was a heinous crime, and Sheik vowed that he would find the murderer and see justice done.

"My lord," a soldier said after clearing a piece of roof from a doorway. "The armoury is this way."

"Excellent," Sheik said. "Light some torches."

They descended into the basement of the guardhouse. Unlike the ground and second floors, the basement was made of stone and had not suffered much damage in the fire. The jail bars had been warped and bent by the heat, as had the swords and axes, their wooden handles turned to ash. In the middle of the floor, they found their missing guard. She lay on the floor, curled into a ball.

"Is she dead?" Eren asked.

Sheik didn't answer. He kneeled next to her and rolled her over. She was quite pretty, with shoulder-length auburn hair and a peaceful expression on her face. He examined her, opening her mouth and looking for signs of having been incinerated internally like her friends. Nothing. From appearances alone she looked like she'd fallen asleep and died without a care in the world.

"She either died from the heat, or lack of air," Sheik said. "Judging by lack of distress on her face, I'd say she suffocated. The fire upstairs would have consumed all the air. For her it was like going to sleep...and never waking up."

"How come she's not with the others?" Nikal said. "Surely everyone would have been roused by the racket of the explosion?"

"She was most likely the jailer," Sheik said, indicating the large ring of keys lying on the floor next to her. "And the guardhouse may already have been on fire, leaving her with no escape route...and no way for the person responsible for the attack to get to her."

"I can't imagine what that must have been like, knowing you're trapped and going to die in a place like this," Eren said, touching the warped bars of the cell door. It creaked open, the hinge almost too distorted for it to move. Eren paused. "Aren't these supposed to be locked, even if no one's imprisoned?"

"Yes," Sheik said slowly, letting his eyes roam the inside of the small cell. There was nothing to indicate someone had been locked up in it, apart from the bucket in which the prisoner would...empty themselves. He wanted to suggest that the heat had managed to open the door, but the lock seemed completely intact. Only a key could have opened it. He turned back to the dead guard and began to undo her breastplate.

"Master?" Nikal said.

"She may have gone to sleep in a peaceful manner, but what killed her definitely wasn't," Sheik said as he removed the guard's plate and pulled up her shirt.

His students gasped. Her upper body was covered in bite marks, stab wounds and bruises. Gritting his teeth, he checked her lower half as well, seeing no sign of violation. He covered her up for modesty's sake and began to pace around the basement, feeling sick.

"What happened to her?" Eren said.

"I have absolutely no idea," Sheik replied, looking at them. "Those were not animal bites, and the stab wounds are too deliberate and numerous to have been accidental. The bruises indicate a struggle, but there are no signs of rape. After killing her, the guilty party redressed her and arranged her to look as if she had died from the fire." He shook his head. "All of it worrying, but not what bothers me the most."

"And that is?" asked Nikal.

"What happened to the blood?" He glanced around the room. "Judging by the wounds, she should have bled all over the floor. I can't see a speck of it anywhere. Can you?"

They couldn't. They even searched for the copious amounts of blood that the jailer's wounds should have produced, but none of it could be found.

Sinking into the jailer's chair, Sheik rubbed his eyes tiredly. It wasn't even noon and he was already getting exhausted. This entire situation was turning into a headache, and he had no idea where to even start. He pulled out the piece of cloth with the stay symbol on it and showed it to Eren and Nikal. "Recognise this?" he asked. Neither of them did. "As I thought," he muttered.

"Could the attacker have done this as well?" Nikal mused. "I'm not sure, Master, but I don't think these things were done by the same people."

"What makes you say that?" Sheik asked.

Her eyes glittered in the torchlight, her mind hard at work. "Whoever killed the guards outside didn't care much about the mess they made as they did so. Captain Teir's blood litters the yard, and the burned ones are in horrible condition. But this one...whoever killed her went through great pains to ensure that little to no mess was left behind. They even redressed her after...finishing." She gulped at the last part. "I don't know, it just doesn't strike me as something the same person would bother to do."

Sheik considered it, and nodded. "Yes, I agree. Until we find evidence that says otherwise, we will assume the murders upstairs and the one down here were performed by two different parties. Now the question becomes: were they working together, or acting independently?"

Neither of them had an answer to that, unfortunately, and neither did he. "The alternatives are as follows," he said. "Either whoever did this to the poor woman arrived at the border together with the person who burned this place down, or they were imprisoned in that cell and used the chaos to escape, but not before having their way with their jailer. Which is more likely, do you think, when the cell is open while the lock clearly hasn't been destroyed by the heat?"

"It was definitely opened with the key," Nikal said. "And if the party responsible for the carnage upstairs was the one to do it, she would not be found in this condition. I think it's a safe assumption that she would be among the burned."

"So they were not affiliated," Eren finished. "It was only a coincidence that they were both here at the same time."

Sheik frowned. "Of course, it is all assumption until we can verify it." He stood up and took one last glance around the room. "We're done here."

"Already?"

He looked at Nikal. "You wish to stay here longer?"

"No, I just...I thought we would investigate more." Eren nodded along.

"There is nothing more to find down here," he said as they emerged from the basement, nodding to Captain Rilund. "One more dead down there," he told him. "She's in far better condition than the others; should be easy to identify."

"Have you found out who did this?" the captain asked. A loud thunderclap signalled bad weather on the way, and soon enough a light drizzle covered the land. Pulling up his hood, Sheik shook his head.

"Not yet," he replied. "Do you know if there was someone being held in detention here?"

"Uh, I'm not sure, my lord," Rilund answered. "There should be a log, but I guess it went up with the rest of the guardhouse. I'll check the other logs back at the Water Gate. We keep multiple copies of records—for posterity."

"Please do," Sheik said. "Have any information sent to Castle Town. I will be there for a while."

"As you wish, my lord. Will you...er...be on your way now?"

"Eager to get rid of me?" Sheik said, his eyes glinting dangerously as lightning tore the sky above them. "Fear not, captain. I shall be out of your hair soon enough."

"Master!"

Eren and Nikal were standing by the horses, looking at something in the fields, far away. Sheik squinted, trying to see what they were trying to point out, but the rain was making difficult to make out. It almost looked like...smoke? He withdrew his telescope from his saddlebag and hurried back to the wall, closely followed by his students. They ascended quickly, though Eren almost lost his grip because of the slippery grip.

It took him less than a second to realise he had put the telescope in front of his blind eye, but it was still enough for him to feel like an idiot as he switched, hoping the other two didn't notice. He found the grey shape in the distance that Eren and Nikal had pointed out and held his breath. There was definitely smoke...

He held the telescope wordlessly out to Nikal, who took it and looked through it herself as he leaned over the parapet and shouted to Rilund, "Captain, are there any towns or villages near here?!"

"Blackbrook to the north-east!" Rilund replied. "It's where the guardhouse got their produce and other supplies!"

_Definitely in the right direction,_ Sheik thought. "How far?!"

"Four hours' ride, about!"

"Break camp, captain, and head there immediately! Leave some of your men here to guard the border!"

"Why, my lord?!"

"Blackbrook is burning!"

_To be continued…_

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**Trying to get as much of the story out of the door as possible before school starts again!**

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	5. The Invitation

**Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda, its characters and locations are all property of Nintendo. Any and all OCs and original locations belong to me unless specifically stated to belong to someone else.**

* * *

**Soul Secrets**

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Castle Town was bustling. The news of Prince Leonthal's imminent arrival had become common knowledge, and the populace was preparing for the royal visit with enthusiasm. According to the messenger, the prince was bringing a rather large retinue—mostly consisting of his bodyguards, aides, knights, nobles and servants. As was usual, the entourage had grown larger as other travellers had latched on to the procession. Some were sellswords hoping to find work, while others were merchants hoping to gain safety in numbers. All in all, it appeared that the party was almost a thousand strong at this point, and the inhabitants of the city were looking forward to fleecing every single one of them.

Zelda smiled wryly to herself as her party moved through the streets, watching as spontaneous marketplaces were set up and innkeepers tried their best to make their establishments appear respectable. The cobbles were swept and doorways cleaned, even the windows of brothels were being shined.

"Is something funny, princess?" Tira asked, riding beside her. She too was keeping an eye on the preparations, though she was fare more interested in spotting potential assassins and attackers.

"I just find it amusing that, with the world in such a state, people are still quite keen on filling their money pouches." She nodded regally to a pair of drunkards who were barely able to keep standing by leaning on each other. Their eyes widened and they did a semi-passable attempt at appearing respectable, almost managing to straighten up.

"Money buys happiness," Tira replied. "Or an imitation of it, anyway. It certainly gives you the ability to ignore everything else."

"I'm apparently the richest person in the world at this point," Zelda mused. "And yet I find it very difficult to escape reality."

"The burden of the crown," Tira replied. "Though it seems quite a few rulers are more than capable of pretending nothing happens outside their walls. You're in the minority, I believe."

"Hm, and I suppose that's a good thing...I hope."

"Last I checked, compassion is a virtue. I'm not a church-going type, however, so perhaps that has changed."

They passed by the old square at the Temple of Time. The neighbourhood had been completely levelled during the war with Ganondorf, and even now it was not fully restored. The temple itself had been closed, and Zelda was unsure of whether or not she should reopen it, given its status as the last possible gateway to the Sacred Realm, even if it was closed at the moment. She shook her head and tried not to think about the fact that she had not seen or heard from the other Sages in seven years. The implications were unpleasant. She also ignored the path leading to a massive stone wall, behind which lay the abyss Ganondorf had created beneath the original Hyrule Castle. The lava below had long since cooled and hardened, but the crater was still there, and had been deemed a hazard. Seeing no other options, she'd had the wall built to prevent anyone from falling into it.

The new Hyrule Castle—finished three years ago—was quite close to the old site. It had been built to resemble the old one as closely as possible. It had been suggested to Zelda that the new castle should be more impervious to attack and more fortress-like, but she had said no. She didn't want an ugly pile of bricks with pikes sticking out of it—the castle was to be, if not beautiful, then at least aesthetically pleasing. Her citizens shouldn't feel threatened by its presence, but comforted. Her father had been of the same mind. She took it a step further, however, and had opened the castle grounds to the public. Entrance to the keep itself required proper invitations and credentials, of course, but no one was to have a halberd levelled at them for simply approaching the gates. It required more security, certainly, but she felt the morale boost was worth it.

"When is the prince arriving, exactly?" Tira asked as the rounded a corner and spotted the towers and turrets of the castle, white stone gleaming in the weak afternoon sunlight.

"In a week and a half, apparently," Zelda answered. "Not nearly enough time to prepare, of course. He should have entered Hyrule through the eastern gate sometime yesterday."

A slightly uncomfortable silence enveloped them as they continued riding through the cobbled street. The people stopped to bow and kneel as they passed them by, but Zelda was too deep in thought to pay them any mind. Tira wanted to assure her princess—and more importantly, her lover—but now was neither the time nor the place.

They passed through the castle grounds. The grass was cut and the entire garden smelled fresh. The carefully laid marble tiles and sculptures were polished to sheen. The gravel crunched the hooves of their mounts. Guards saluted smartly, their armour shining. The princess' homecoming was announced, and the drawbridge over the moat was lowered and the iron portcullis opened. The soldiers in Zelda's retinue halted just beyond the gate, dismounting and lining up for further inspection. Zelda and Tira continued ahead, passing under the great stone archway leading into the main courtyard.

Two hundred paces across, this was where she intended to host the banquet for Prince Leonthal. The castle keep itself wasn't big enough for such a party, but the courtyard would do nice. The tables had already been set up while she was gone, and she was assured they would seat at least five hundred people. Extra food was being brought in from the nearby farms, and several hundred barrels of ale and wine were being brought up from the castle basement. The prince and his immediate men would be staying in the guest quarters of the keep, but Zelda had no idea where she would put the remaining members of his retinue.

As they dismounted by the royal stables, Zelda kept casting worried glances at the tents being erected by the tables. Merchants and games were allowed to operate within the keep that day, and she hoped the prince would find them pleasing. Tira wondered why Zelda was so worried—compared to Hyrule, the Storm Plains was but a tiny speck of a kingdom. They had an impressive army, certainly, but no mines or production facilities to speak of. Farming was their main source of income thanks to the fertile land, but that was about it. The prince was lucky that his visit was even accepted given the way he'd announced his intentions. Hell, he should be grovelling for her forgiveness.

Perhaps it has something to do with her prophetic dream, Tira thought to herself. She did not doubt Zelda's claims of prophetic dreams—they had come true too often for it to be coincidences. This one, however... The princess had woken up screaming in the night, soaked in sweat and panting harshly and seemingly in a trance, shouting incoherently until Tira had managed to calm her down. By Tira's assessment, it wasn't as much a prophetic dream as it was a prophetic nightmare—and Zelda had described one of those to her before. She was unsure if the princess herself realised that this was the way she described waking up after dreaming of Ganondorf and his attack...

This one, however, she refused to elaborate upon, other than saying that she needed to speak with Sheik about it. Why she hadn't taken the opportunity while visiting Kakariko, Tira didn't know. Maybe she was afraid of someone overhearing it—and wanted to keep it within her own castle walls.

The throne room was empty save for the guards and servants. The members of the court were most likely doing preparations on their own—royal visits meant new marriage and business opportunities, and there were probably more than a few lords and ladies who were fussing about their sons and daughters to make them appealing to the visiting dignitaries.

Zelda led Tira straight past the throne and up the well-guarded stairs behind it. They led to the second floor of the keep and the royal apartments. The atmosphere grew tenser and tenser with every second the princess remained silent, and by the time they reached the door to Zelda's chambers, it was close to bursting.

Tira was about to say something, anything, to break the tension, but Zelda would have none of it. She opened the door to her chambers, turned around and dragged Tira bodily inside the room, slamming the door behind them. Before she knew what was happening, Tira found her lips covered by the princess', the younger's hands already working on removing her armour. Every time she tried to speak, Zelda found some way to shut her up by biting her throat or nibbling on her earlobe. By the time they made it to the princess' gigantic bed, they were both unclothed, and the sight of a naked Zelda seductively crawling towards her across satin sheets promptly had the bodyguard's mind draw a blank.

They could speak later.

* * *

The throne room was slowly filling with the members of court who were still in Castle Town. Zelda had contemplated not accepting audiences for a couple of days to collect her thoughts, but after, er, resting with Tira, she felt slightly invigorated. With her bad leg resting on a stool in front of her throne, she sat and listened to her subjects' plights and requests, granting or denying them as she saw fit. She also listened to reports from the various great farms around the kingdom, noting happily that the season's harvests were bountiful, unlike those of the previous year. There was no news from Sheik or the border guards, which she took as a sign that they were still investigating the incident. She wished they would hurry; she'd rather have the matter out of her hair by the time Leonthal arrived.

As she listened to a pompous noble complaining about the lack of respect he was receiving from the other lords, she cast a glance at Tira, noting with a small smile that the older woman seemed to be glowing, her stance slightly more relaxed than usual. It made her happy, knowing she could put her lover at ease in such a way, even though she knew Tira worried more than she let on.

She wanted Tira to know what she'd dreamt, but she wanted Sheik to be there as well. Describing the dream would take a lot out of her, she knew, and she'd rather not have to do it more than once. Plus, the contents of the dream would be of direct interest to her adopted little brother.

There was a strange silence, and someone cleared their throat, and she realised that the lord had stopped talking and was looking at her expectantly. Adjusting her seat, she gave him a respectful look and said, "Unfortunately, Lord Karsin, it is not within my power to _make_ someone like you. That is something your, erm, winning personality will have to take care of itself. I suggest you take the opportunity to do so during Prince Leonthal's visit—I have a feeling that all the noble houses will be attending."

The lord looked unhappy with the answer, but a glare from Tira convinced him to bow respectfully and be on his way. Zelda sighed in relief, wondering what she'd done wrong that would encourage whiny lords to come to her with such petulant issues. Her leg was starting to ache again, and she was happy that the next audience would be the day's last. She was not encouraged when the person in line happened to be the head of the Stargazers' Guild, and the grave expression on the old man's face was certainly no source of confidence.

"Your Majesty," the old man said, doing his best to kneel and failing miserably. Really, it was a wonder the man was still able to remain mobile, being well over ninety years old. If it wasn't his advanced age that would kill him, Zelda was certain he would die in an accident involving tripping on his very neatly kept, snow-white beard, which almost brushed the floor at this point.

"Please, Master Seph, do not trouble your old bones with such useless formalities," Zelda said. As she spoke, Tira strode down from the raised dais upon which the throne stood and helped the old man straighten up, smiling gently at the relieved look of gratitude he gave her. "I believe your long service to the throne has earned you the right to dispense with them."

"You are most kind, Your Grace," Seph replied, settling for a short bow instead, though his back cracked dangerously loud as he did so. It made Zelda wince, and wonder how on earth the man was still alive.

"And what brings you to me today?" Zelda asked.

"I have come to deliver a report," Seph announced, his non-existent chest puffing slightly up with pride. The Stargazers' Guild had long been mocked for providing nothing of use to the kingdom. Zelda's father had kept the guild afloat out of old friendships with the members, and Zelda had seen no reason not to let it continue. She had developed an interest in stargazing in the past few years, and she found it fascinating to look through their telescopes and have aspects of the night sky that were not visible otherwise revealed to her. There was so much happening out there that so few people knew about. However, in the past few years, she had noticed that something...anomalous seemed to be occurring in the darkness beyond the sky, and had commissioned the guild to investigate.

"And what does your report say?" she asked, hoping that it was nothing of importance. She had trouble enough down on the ground—the last thing she wanted was trouble up there.

Seph hesitated then, and Zelda knew her hopes were once again dashed against the rocks of disappointment. "I believe it is prudent that only Your Grace hears it. It is confidential."

"What's wrong, Seph?" someone from the upper galleries asked. "Did one of your stars go missing?" They laughed, and more people joined in, mocking the elderly stargazer, who simply looked up towards the gallery with a look of quiet disapproval.

Fools, Zelda thought. If only you knew the magnificence you are mocking.

"If that is your judgement, so be it," Zelda said, rising from her throne. "Audiences are over for today, kindly clear the halls. Master Seph, let us speak in private."

Tira assisted the elderly guild master into one of the throne room's side chambers. He was placed in a comfortable chair and offered refreshments as Zelda seated herself directly across from him. Tira hovered outside the chamber, ensuring that no one would be listening.

"So, I assume the report you carry is less than joyous?" Zelda said, hoping to lighten up the atmosphere slightly.

"I am afraid it is, Your Grace," Seph replied, sipping his tea. "The guild has been hard at work, studying the great cosmos beyond our skies, and the truth is...well, the young man in the gallery had a point."

"A star has disappeared?" Zelda said, wondering whether she should laugh or not. Surely not every star was visible every night? Memories of her dream struck her then, and the desire to laugh was immediately killed.

"Not just one," Seph said, clearing his throat. "They would not be visible with the naked eye, but an entire cluster has simply...disappeared. It is as if someone has obscured them with a black veil. Where one would assume another cluster an even greater distance away would become visible with their disappearance, there is simply...nothing. A black patch of absolutely nothing."

Zelda didn't know what to say. "Wh...what does that mean, exactly?"

Seph offered a helpless shrug. "It is difficult to say, Your Grace. There is still so much I do not know of the great cosmos, even after a lifetime of study. The distances alone are so vast..."

"But have you ever seen anything like this before? Surely this is a common occurrence?" she insisted.

Seph shook his head. "I have certainly seen stars lose and gain lustre, but disappear entirely? Never. Perhaps it is our telescopes—maybe the stars are still there, but are shining too weakly to be seen. If we could see even further, then perhaps..."

There was an unspoken request there, and Zelda nodded. "What do you need?"

"One of my brightest has drawn up schematics for a telescope far stronger than any other. I believe it will allow us to see far enough to spot what is causing the anomaly." He looked uncomfortable. "It is...quite large, and so will cost quite a bit to manufacture, but..."

"Say no more, Master Seph," Zelda told him. "The Crown will pay for the expense. I will send the schematics to the artificers in the industrial district with the order to construct it as quickly as possible. It might well be nothing to worry about, but I would rather put it out of my mind."

"Thank you, Your Grace," Seph said, nodding. "And feeling unease in the wake of this is simply natural. I will admit, after the discovery I have found it difficult to sleep."

Not nearly as difficult as me, I fear, she thought. "Thank you for the report," she told him. "Is there anything else of note?"

"I do not believe so, Your Grace, though I should say that my attention has solely been focused on the missing stars. The other Gazers have not reported anything else out of the ordinary thus far."

"That is good news, at least," Zelda said. She then leaned forward, causing Seph to do the same. "I do not need, of course, to tell you that this information is strictly confidential until further notice. No one is to speak of this outside the guild."

"Of course not, Your Grace," he said gravely. "I have already ensured that members keep tight-lipped about this."

"Excellent, Master Seph. Please let me know if there are any further developments."

She watched him hobble out of the throne room, still thanking her profusely for the telescope. Chances were that she had simply been fooled into paying for a new toy, but she'd rather be safe than sorry. Her dream had been far too vivid for the disappearing stars to be a coincidence. She found herself wishing Sheik would return even faster now, regretting her decision to send him to the border in the first place. The throne room was empty again by the time Seph was gone, and she collapsed ungracefully into her seat. Her leg was aching by now, and even trying to lift it onto the stool was a struggle. Ever her saving angel, Tira swooped in and lifted it onto the steel for her.

"Thank you," she sighed with relief. "It's the season changing—the dampness makes the pain worse."

"Shall I look for a magical healer in the city?" Tira offered. "Perhaps they could—"

"No, we tried that already and it didn't work," Zelda interrupted. "The wound is too old." Their attempt at having her leg healed magically had failed spectacularly and left her with a nagging idea that the pain was actually slightly worse now. "I appreciate your concern, but the pain is but momentary. I will feel better in the morning."

"Are you certain?" Tira asked pointedly, and Zelda knew immediately that it was not the leg she was asking about.

"As certain as I can be, in the circumstances," she admitted. "I know you want to know what my dream was about, Tira—"

"Dream? It sounded as if you were being quartered," the bodyguard interrupted her. "How can I not worry?"

"Tira, I..." she hesitated. She wanted to tell her, so badly, but...the images came to her unbidden, and she drew a shuddering breath. "I will tell you, I promise, when Sheik arrives."

Tira wanted to push, but she had seen Zelda clam up before and those had been two very uncomfortable and awkward weeks. Instead, she nodded and said, "As you wish."

The princess wanted to groan, knowing she'd annoyed her now, but kept quiet. She would make it up to her at some point, somehow.

By nightfall, her leg was killing her. Every step was torture, but she refused Tira's help, preferring to walk on her own. As she approached her chambers, she noticed that Tira was hovering awkwardly, unsure whether or not she was going to be invited in. The bodyguard technically had her own chambers next to Zelda's, but she had, at most, spent a dozen nights there so far this year.

Instead of saying anything, she simply opened the door to her chambers and strode in, leaving it open. She smiled to herself as Tira carefully stepped inside and closed the door behind her, far too timid given what they'd been doing in there just hours before. Zelda sat on her bed, massaging her thigh gently. Goddesses, it hurt! She moaned softly when Tira pushed her hands away and began massaging it instead.

"The pain is getting worse, and not it's just because of the seasons," Tira murmured.

"I am not going to another healer," Zelda insisted. "For all we know, it was because of them the pain is like this."

"Then who would you trust to look at it? Because I dislike seeing you in such discomfort every day."

"There is only one person I would trust, and she's not available."

"Your teacher?" Tira asked. "Termina is recovering nicely according to the Hero of Time's latest letter. She is far from the only physician there. You could send her an invitation."

"And say what? I got myself injured like an idiot seven years ago and need her to come blow on it like a nursemaid?" Zelda snorted. "I'll never hear the end of it. 'This is why you invited me? The Moronic Trio has been at it again, I see.'"

Tira had never met Doctor Kaura, but the princess had told her plenty of stories involving her, and made the impression several times—and already she was living in fear of the woman who had once been teaching Zelda medicine. She could have gone her whole life, happily not getting to know this one. However, Zelda was in pain...

"Use the prince's arrival as a reason to invite her," Tira continued. "Tell her it's a way to advertise herself as, in your words, the finest physician in the world."

"She'll scare everyone away," Zelda muttered, though the idea was clearly appealing to her. "She'll never make it here in time, though. Termina is at least a month away."

"Not if she rides with all haste."

"If I tell her to do that, she'll know it's a ploy."

"She'll know either way, in the end. This way it'll be easier to get her here."

"What if she says no?"

Tira almost chuckled at the worried tone in the princess' voice. "You haven't seen each other in, what, nine years? If she cares about you as much as you describe, she'll jump on the chance...even if she tries to seem reluctant and annoyed about it."

Zelda looked at her with calculating eyes, clearly trying to find a reason _not_ to invite Kaura and clearly failing at it. When the defeated roll of her eyes came, Tira knew she had won. She took the growled orders to fetch her ink, paper and a messenger bird with a grin, knowing it was all bark and no bite.

After ensuring that the bird had been sent, she returned to the princess' chambers, where she was once again pulled into bed...but this time Zelda simply curled up against Tira, silently thanking her for forcing her to go through with it. Tira wrapped her arms around the princess with a content smile, closing her eyes and hoping to the once-existent Goddesses that Kaura would be able to help Zelda.

Then Zelda began to kiss her jaw, and her mind was once again a blank.

_To be continued…_

* * *

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	6. The First Witness

**Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda, its characters and locations are all property of Nintendo. Any and all OCs and original locations belong to me unless specifically stated to belong to someone else.**

* * *

**Soul Secrets**

**Chapter 6**

* * *

The ride to Blackbrook had taken far longer than Sheik had expected, and the driving rain and wind were slowing them down. He and Eren and Nikal had ridden ahead of Captain Rilund and his men, who had been exceedingly slow to break camp and mount up. Sheik half-suspected that they were afraid that whoever had destroyed the border post was wreaking havoc in the village as well. He also suspected their fears would be well founded. Blackbrook was close enough for someone on foot to make it there long before anyone realised what had happened at the border post—and then some poor villager might have made the connection between the smoke coming from the guardhouse and point it out to his fellows, and...

He gritted his teeth and focused on the road ahead, digging his heels into Maladict's sides, hoping to coax even more speed from the stallion. Maladict snorted in protest, but seemed to find more power within himself, and the rain suddenly seemed even harder. It found its way through his clothes, soaking him to the bone and pouring into his boots. His hood was useless and kept getting torn off by the wind, flapping uselessly behind him. Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the quickly darkening land around them.

Eren and Nikal were somewhere behind him, he knew, but he could not longer hear the hooves of their mounts thundering along the uneven road. He hoped they could keep up...or that they'd lose him in the rain so he could continue on his own. The situation was getting dangerous, far too dangerous for the two of them. He had thought it would be a simple murder investigation ending with the apprehension of a desperate band of mercenaries or something similar, but now they were hunting a highly dangerous warlock with enough power to kill a dozen men with nothing but his magic. His students weren't prepared for that...and if he was completely honest with himself, neither was he.

_Pull yourself together,_ he told himself. _Link defeated Vorpheus, and he was one of the most powerful warlocks in the world! I can handle this, I _can_!_

He kept repeating this in his head as the sky above the distant Blackbrook became orange, the flames of the burning village lighting up the clouds. A river ran alongside the road, presumably the one from which the village got its name. Usually small and flowing at a leisurely pace, it was now swollen with the heavy rainfall, and the current strong enough to drag a person for miles and drown them in the black depths.

Half of the buildings in the village were burning, flames rising higher and higher as they ate through the wooden houses, not deterred by the rain in the slightest. Sheik made Maladict stop just outside the village limit, dismounting at speed. The road had turned into mud, and his boots sank deep into the brown sludge, nearly taking him off his feet in the process. The smell of ash assaulted his nose as he drew one of his blades—the longest of his curved swords given to him by his cousin. Perfectly balanced, and razor-sharp.

A rough count left him with fifteen buildings still untouched by the flames, and sixteen being slowly devoured. A hundred and twenty villagers, assuming four per family per building. The wide street running between the buildings should have been filled with them, screaming for help and working to quench the flames that were destroying their homes. Instead, there was nothing. Not a single villager had taken to the streets.

"Master!"

Eren and Nikal were dismounting behind him, quickly coming up to stand next to him, swords at the ready.

"Search the intact buildings for survivors," Sheik barked. "Hurry!"

They split up, each racing to a different house. Sheik went for what appeared to be the mayor's house, the biggest one. It was situated in what passed for the village square—a large, empty lot in the very middle of the town save for the well. It had a mechanical clock tower, and it struck midnight just as Sheik raced up the steps and came face to face with a wide-open door. A quick glance revealed no signs of forced entry. He checked the corners and went inside, tense and prepared to fight whatever came at him.

The halls were well lit with gaslights on the walls, and nothing seemed amiss save for the eerie quiet that dominated the atmosphere. Sheik's heartbeats and controlled breathing became uncomfortably loud as he searched room after room for stragglers and survivors, finding nothing but empty beds, an office in disarray from the wind blowing through an open window, a cold kitchen where the cooking fire had long since gone out and a half-eaten dinner in the dining room.

Sheik touched a finger to the food, which was cold. The attack had not been too recent, then, but the lamps were still burning, meaning it hadn't been more than a few hours since it started. It didn't make sense, however. The dining room showed no signs of the panic a sudden and violent attack would instil in its occupants. The chairs had not been knocked over; the napkins were neatly folded next to the plates, the cutlery arranged properly. It was as if the family had noticed the commotion, calmly filed out of the dining room and out the front door to witness the spectacle. Sheik's brow furrowed.

_This doesn't make any sense,_ he thought. _Something very strange is going on..._

* * *

"Anything?"

Master's voice was not demanding or expectant, but curious. He was standing by the well in front the mayor's house, leaning slightly against the stone. He had sheathed his sword after emerging from the house, waiting for them to finish their searches as well before calling them to him. Captain Rilund and his men had not yet arrived, and at the moment it seemed like she, Eren and Master were the only ones in the village.

She didn't like it.

"Nothing, Master," Eren said, slightly out of breath. He had been farthest away when Master had called. "No survivors, no attackers."

"Nikal?" Master asked, turning his head to look at her. His eyes burned fiercely in the firelight.

"I haven't found anyone either, Master," she said, feeling tension in her shoulders. This entire situation was getting worse by the minute, and she had no idea how to react to all this. She wanted to be like Master, taking it all in stride with an air of aloofness, but she couldn't find it in here. By the looks of him, Eren was feeling the same way. "But it's strange—none of the houses look like they have been broken into, the doors are all open. It must have been time for supper, and—"

"The food is all half-eaten, as if they simply walked away from it," Master finished. "It is the same in the mayor's home."

"Is it the warlock, Master?" Eren asked. "Did he attack?"

"I want to say yes," Master said, eyes dancing back and forth between the buildings as he hesitated. "But I don't think these fires are the result of magic. This entire village is lighted by gas and oil lamps—some may have overflowed with no one to tend them and started the fires we are seeing."

"But what about the villagers?" Nikal said, gesturing around them. "Where are they?" They couldn't simply have disappeared!

"I wish I knew, Nikal," Master said, shaking his head. He stood up straight and crossed his arms. "Continue searching the buildings—see if you can find any sort of clues that could tell us what happened here. And stay together—whoever responsible might still be here."

They nodded and went to one of the buildings they hadn't yet looked through, close to one of the fires. A little while longer, and the flames would be devouring this one as well. It was a simple house, little more than a cottage with a single floor and two rooms and a kitchen. There were still embers in the fireplace and yet another half-finished meal. The beds were small and uncomfortable-looking, but neatly made. A family of at least five lived here—there were toys on the floor by the fireplace, a wooden soldier and a raggedy doll. Nikal picked it up, noting that it was scruffy and obviously quite loved by its owner.

"Looking for a new toy, Nik?" Eren asked in a joking tone.

She dropped it on the floor and glared at him. "Is this really the time for that?"

"What other time is there?" was his reply, and it annoyed her.

"You're loving this, aren't you? Dead border guards and an entire village of people missing," she said. "It's all a game to you!"

"It's a riddle, and I love riddles," Eren replied, studying the living space. "And the missing people don't need sympathy—they need someone to solve it." He crouched by the kitchen table and picked up a piece of paper that had been hidden in by the shadows. "Like this," he announced triumphantly, though his smile fell once he realised it was blank. "Or not."

Nikal shook her head. Eren had never been the most empathetic boy, but she had never seen him like this. She knew she wasn't doing anyone any good by being so unnerved by the entire affair, but how else should one react? The carnage at the border post was nothing compared to this...this surrealism. "I'll take a look outside," she told Eren, who nodded. "Might be something behind the house."

"All right, let me know if you find anything," he said.

The wind and rain were still doing their best to make her as miserable as possible, but she found it less distressing outside, at the mercy of the elements. A small path led to the back of the house, and a small garden, well-kept garden greeted her. Well, it _had_ been well kept, but the wind had wreaked havoc with the carefully arranged shrubs and flowerbeds, drowning and breaking the delicate plants.

Seeing nothing of interest her, she made to turn. Something caught her eye. Yellowed and flapping in the wind, a piece of drenched parchment had been caught on the branches of a thorny bush. She retrieved it, careful not to tear it as she did so. Her eyes grew wide once she saw the symbol written upon it—a six-armed sun. It was definitely the same as the one Master had found at the border. "Eren!" she called unsure whether he could actually hear her over the weather. "I found something!"

* * *

Sheik frowned. The office was in complete disarray, and the rain that had poured in through the window had ruined most of the letters and paper, and trying to make sense of what little was intact turned out to be beyond his ken. The mayor was practically illiterate, and what seemed to be his handwriting was barely legible even without the ink running all over the paper. He doubted he'd find anything of use in here, but it had been worth a shot, given that the rest of the village had so far yielded absolutely nothing, much to his annoyance.

It sounded horrible, even to him, but he had half-hoped to find the warlock or witch still there, wreaking havoc throughout the village and killing indiscriminately. That would have given him a clear course of action, namely subduing or killing them. Hell, just finding the bodies of the villagers would have been better than this confusing absence of...well, everyone.

The only good thing about this was the fact that he hadn't been forced to put Eren and Nikal in the direct line of fire. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to defeat the party responsible, especially if he had two students to look after at the same time.

Sighing, he discarded the last pile of paper he'd been looking through (financial reports from the butcher, apparently) and let it fall to the floor in an untidy heap. He was heading for the hall when he happened to glance out the window, just as lightning struck somewhere out in the fields. It illuminated the entire village...and revealed a figure standing in the square, right by the well.

Sheik rushed down the stairs and burst out onto the porch of the house, eyes fixed on the point where the figure had stood... Nothing but mud, now, but the boot prints were visible enough. Drawing his sword again, Sheik bent his knees slightly as he slowly approached the spot, ready to spring into action at any moment.

_They're toying with me,_ he thought. The figure had been hooded and masked, just like Sheik and his students, but the figure had been too tall to be either Eren or Nikal. Eyes narrowed, he crouched by the spot and studied the prints. No tracks led to or from them. He slashed the air above them, but the blade cleaved nothing but air with a sharp whistling sound. His grip on the sword hilt tightened, his eyes flitting from building to building, rooftop to rooftop, trying to catch a glimpse of the enemy.

Where were Eren and Nikal? He could neither see nor hear them, but that would have been a wonder in itself in this weather. He'd seen them go in the direction of the village entrance, but then he'd lost sight of them. Had they been attacked while Sheik was looking through the mayor's office? He wanted to slap himself for his own stupidity, sending them off on their own in a place like this.

_Impa would have turned away in shame_, he growled at himself. _Some teacher you are!_

_I have to find them!_

He began to run, heading for the hovel where he'd last seen the two. He had but reached the edge of the square when he suddenly felt it. The hair on the back of his neck stood up and a shiver went down his spine. He was being watched. He slowly turned around, bringing his sword up.

The hooded figure was back, standing in the exact same spot as before, facing him.

His jaw clenched, Sheik fell into a combat stance. "Who goes there?!" he demanded.

The figure said nothing. It simply cocked its head to the side, looking curious.

"I said, who goes there?!" Sheik repeated forcefully.

"I heard what you said," the figure replied, shaking its head. The voice was male, but his accent was not one Sheik had heard before, making it impossible to identify where he was from. "I just chose not to answer. Lord Sheikah, I presume?"

"I asked you to identify yourself first," Sheik told him. "It is common courtesy to do so when asked."

"Who I am doesn't matter, not truly," the figure said. "What matters is whether or not I am responsible for what happened here...and at the border."

"And?" Sheik asked. "Are you?"

"I asked you a question first," he reminded Sheik. "Are you Lord Sheik of House Sheikah?"

"I am."

"Good, you will the first, then."

"The first what?"

"The first witness, of course. And victim."

Sheik dug his heels into the mud, gritting his teeth behind his cowl. "Witness to what?"

"I prefer to play my cards close to the chest," the figure replied. "You will simply have to see for yourself. And I believe there was another question you wanted to ask?"

"Are you responsible for this?" He hated being led on like this, but Sheik needed to know for certain before throwing himself into action. The man was infuriating!

"Why, yes," the figure said, chuckling and holding its arms out like he was showing off some sort of masterpiece. "It's quite obvious, isn't it? You can feel it, can't you? My power."

He could. Magical energy was flowing from the man in powerful waves, each one stronger than the last. Sheik felt them wash over him, threatening to take him off his feet along with the wind. It was like standing in front of Vorpheus again, only worse because he had no idea what this man was capable of...or what he even wanted. It was unnerving, because Sheik had no idea what to do should they come to blows. Still, the man had just admitted to the murder of the border guards and the disappearance of an entire village.

"Where are the people who lived here?" he asked. "What have you done with them?"

"I _could_ tell you that," the warlock said, chuckling again. "But that would be revealing far too much. I would much rather you figure it out for yourself. You have a lot of work ahead of you, Lord Sheikah, what with that abomination in the guardhouse cellar and such."

"Was that yours?"

"Goddesses, no." The sneer could be heard in his voice. "I wouldn't associate with such a disgusting being in a million years. It just happened to be there—I'm certain you would have been informed about it, had it not been for my...spectacular entrance to the kingdom."

"What do you want? Why are you here?" He heard footsteps approaching him quickly from behind.

"Like I said, my reasons are my own, and they will become apparent to you soon enough," he said. "Ah, your little sycophants are here, how lovely. Perfect witnesses to my demonstration."

"Stop!" Sheik told them, holding out a hand. "Don't come any closer—this one is beyond either of you."

_Not to mention me,_ the treacherous but brutally honest part of himself said. _What the hell am I doing?_

"Yes, listen to your master," the figure said. "I have no desire to hurt you. Yet."

"Hurt us?!" Eren shouted. "As if you could—"

"Eren, be quiet!" Sheik barked. "Get to the horses, both of you, and go to Castle Town. The princess must hear of this!"

He knew neither of them wanted to leave, but thankfully Nikal seemed to realise how distressed her master was. "Eren," she said. "Come on!"

Sheik heard them slowly begin to withdraw, which made him feel slightly better. The captain and his men would get here soon. If he could distract the warlock until reinforcements arrived, they might be able to subdue him...

Lightning struck, and it was far from natural. It slammed into the ground just behind Eren and Nikal, throwing them forward and sending them sprawling in the mud by Sheik's feet. He took a step back, looking them over quickly. Neither seemed to be hurt, just stunned.

"I'd rather you stayed," the warlock said, his hand held straight out, having directed the lightning to strike that exact spot. "I need witnesses."

"You said you didn't want to hurt them," Sheik growled, pulling Nikal into a sitting position. Her eyes focused, and she quickly went to Eren and helped him up as well.

"I did say so, and I generally remain true to my word," the warlock said. "But I will not hesitate to kill them should they go against my wishes."

Sheik had heard enough. With a roar, he rushed forward with his blade held high, bringing it down on the warlock's head. Or, he would have, had the warlock not simply...not been there. One second he was standing in the mud, the second he was gone, blinked out of existence. Sheik's blow hit nothing but thin air, and he was nearly brought off balance.

"A fine blow," the warlock said, suddenly standing behind him. "Too bad it missed."

Sheik whirled around, slicing the air where the enemy had been. The lack of a target really _did_ bring him out of balance this time, and he nearly tripped and fell in the mud.

"That's all you have to offer?" the warlock asked, tutting. "I'm disappointed. I only came out of hiding so soon because I wanted to see what you were like, Lord Sheikah. I am regretting my decision, however, for this is a really poor show."

_I'm the first witness, but to what? His power?_ Sheik thought as he ceased his offensive, settling for slowly circling the warlock. A frontal assault was useless; the man would simply teleport out of the way. Without hesitation he drew back and threw three daggers in rapid succession. Again, the man simply disappeared in the blink of an eye, appearing several feet to the right.

"You really shouldn't play with knives, my lord," the warlock chuckled. "They can be quite dangerous in the wrong hands."

Sheik glanced towards Eren and Nikal. They were still recovering from the lightning strike, but their attention was on him and the warlock. His heart was beating fast, skipping every tenth beat or so, an ever-present reminder of his shortened life. He cursed inwardly. The warlock had appeared in a spot where Sheik had no tactical advantages. There were no high points to strike from, no shadows to hide in. If he kept attacking like this he would simply be playing right into the bastard's hands!

An idea struck him, and he snuck a hand into the pack strapped around his waist, hidden beneath his cloak.

"Are you quite finished posturing?" the warlock asked, sounding impatient.

"I am now!" Sheik shouted and hurled the three deku nuts into the mud, hoping he had utilised sufficient force. The nuts cracked and exploded in a brilliant and blinding show of light. Whatever magic had allowed him to teleport around using them had long since stopped working, but Sheik still knew how to take advantage of the momentary surprise. He dove forward and slashed broadly at the warlock's legs. Rather than teleporting away, he simply stepped aside—but Sheik was prepared for that. He rolled forward in the mud—smearing it all over his front and face—and wrapped his legs around the warlock's, using his momentum to twist and pull the enemy to the ground.

That was the plan, anyway. It failed midway through, as the warlock seemed to _slip_ out of the firm grip Sheik had with his legs—which was impossible. It was like the limbs had turned boneless and simply slithered out the way. Growling, Sheik tore his cloak off—it was heavy with water and mud and was simply getting in the way. He heard the warlock chuckling and looked up, still kneeling in the mud.

"That is a good position for you, grovelling in the muck," he said. "The princess made a mistake when freeing you—the Sheikah were always meant for slavery."

It was meant to goad him into recklessness, but Sheik knew better, and let the insult slide off him. Rising, he armed himself with his sword and a dagger in his crippled left hand. Missing two fingers was not a big deal when you had your knives custom-made to be balanced for the other two and the thumb. Twirling it by the ring at the end of the hilt, Sheik used the momentary lull to analyse the situation further.

_There really is nothing I can do at this point,_ he thought. _All the advantages are his..._

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, resorting to talking to buy himself more time to think. "What do you want?"

"A very simple thing," the warlock replied. "Justice."

"Justice? Justice for what?"

The warlock snorted. "Why, the world, of course."

_What utter poppycock,_ Sheik thought. "And what have I ever done to the world?"

"Are you that arrogant, to think that I came all this way _just_ for you?" the warlock asked with incredulity in his voice. "You are but a small pawn in the greater game I am playing, Sheikah. I simply decided to test you first. All of Hyrule will suffer for what you have done!"

Sheik opened his mouth to reply, but the warlock disappeared from sight. Before he had a chance to turn around, he felt a hand gently touching his shoulder—and then the world was agony. Electricity coursed through him as the warlock released a great deal of energy into him. His muscles convulsed and seized up, his weapons dropping. His legs gave out, and he fell facedown into the mud, choking on it. His entire body felt like it was on fire and tearing itself apart with the seizure-like spasms, his back arching like it was about to snap. He wasn't even able to scream, his mouth was clenched shut. He tasted blood—he'd bit off a bit of his tongue.

The lightning stopped, and his body sagged lifelessly on the ground. His lungs burned; he gasped for air as he tried to rise up, but his muscles refused to obey. It was a monumental effort just to rise to one knee, and that was as far as he got.

"I'm disappointed," the warlock repeated. "I expected more out of you. Oh well...it will still send a powerful message, I believe."

_Behind me,_ Sheik thought. His right hand was inching towards the dagger in the mud. _Right behind me..._

"The truth has a nasty tendency to catch up with you," the warlock continued, undoubtedly grinning under his mask. "Believe me, I know. And now yours is rapidly approaching from behind—unstoppable and terrible."

_You talk too much._

His fingers gripping the dagger, he turned on his knee in a wide arc, aiming for the warlock's side. He gasped when the warlock caught his wrist effortlessly—his muscles still hadn't recovered and were incapable of delivering much force.

"You shouldn't interrupt your betters," the warlock said, squeezing the wrist so hard it felt like it might snap off. Sheik dropped the dagger, groaning. "Here is a lesson so you will remember." The warlock wrenched his arm until it pointed straight, forcing Sheik down into the mud yet again, gasping with pain. His eyes widened when he felt the warlock place a boot on his back for leverage.

_No, not that!_

His agonised scream must have been audible even over the storm—he felt muscles tearing and veins bursting as the arm was forcibly ripped out of its socket. The pain was so intense that he blacked out for several seconds. When he opened his eyes, the warlock was standing over him, his eyes shining electric blue underneath his hood. Bending down, he studied Sheik's face for a few seconds.

"This is just the beginning," the man whispered. "By the time this is over, you will be begging for this kind of pain again."

Sheik had nothing to offer in reply—his entire body was a knot of agony, and his arm felt like it had been torn off.

"It has taken me nearly a decade to learn the truth, Lord Sheikah, and it is finally here. The world suffered for your actions in Lumina, and now it is your turn."

The warlock became immaterial like smoke and disappeared, blowing away on the wind. Sheik moaned, trying to get up...but he had nothing left to give. The electricity had sapped him of his strength and the dislocated arm overwhelmed all other senses. He was only dimly aware of Nikal and Eren suddenly appearing beside him and trying to make him respond, his vision darkening by the second.

"Castle Town," he forced out with a groan. "Must...warn...princess..."

The world disappeared, and he was left in blissful oblivion.

_To be continued…_

* * *

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	7. Homecoming

**Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda, its characters and locations are all property of Nintendo. Any and all OCs and original locations belong to me unless specifically stated to belong to someone else.**

* * *

**Soul Secrets**

**Chapter 7**

* * *

The hunger gnawed at him, having developed into a horrible ache in the pit of his stomach that would not stop. It was all he could think about, an all-consuming urge that guided him along the muddy road, forcing him to take one more step even though each of them felt like it would be his last. He barely noticed the driving rain or the lightning striking the world around him. The thunder was little more than quiet rumblings in the back of his head. He couldn't think straight—every thought was infected by the hunger, the starvation. His belly burned, his body consuming itself to keep itself alive just for a little while longer. He clutched his middle, groaning.

The woman had not been enough. Her blood had barely given him enough strength to escape the burning building in which he'd been kept imprisoned. He'd no recollection of how he'd ended up in the small, cramped cell. The only thing he knew was that he was hungry, and she had been foolish to unlock his cell door. She thought she'd been saving his life from the fire upstairs...but she'd in reality doomed herself. At least it hadn't been painful—he had put her to sleep before she could feel anything. How, he wasn't so sure.

He stumbled and fell facedown into a pool of muddy water. It took a gargantuan effort to heave himself out of it, and he had to lie on his back afterwards, panting with exhaustion, letting the rain wash his face clean of blood and mud. He opened his eyes, and was blinded by the lightning. He howled with pain—his eyes felt like they were melting.

He lost track of time. He had no idea how long he laid there, letting the world slowly drown him until he reopened his eyes, wincing from the stinging feeling. By the time he fought his way to his knees, the rain seemed to be letting up slightly. It did him little good—his rags were soaked and falling apart, his shoeless feet numb and unfeeling.

Where was he, even? _Who_ was he? He couldn't remember anything from before waking up in the cell and the overwhelming hunger. Where was he going? The road had seemed a good choice to follow, if only to get away from the carnage outside the...prison? Someone had killed the soldiers guarding the place, and even with his wits clouded by the urge to feed he knew better than to stay. He felt eyes on the back of his neck the entire time, but no one had followed.

So he ran, and had continued to do so until his strength failed him and he was forced to shuffle along as he had up until now. He barely had the strength to keep his eyes open—how was he to keep moving? He groaned and eased himself back on the ground, lying on his stomach. He turned his head and made himself a little more comfortable. Perhaps sleep would help restore some of his strength—he certainly felt like he was going to pass out any minute now.

Thumping. There was a rhythmic thumping sound coming from the surface of the road. His eyes opened, and he listened closer. It was getting louder, deeper.

Someone was coming. More soldiers, possibly searching for him? Did they think _he_ had killed all those people? He had only killed _one_! He had to get away, but there was no way he'd be able to stand, much less walk or run. There was a slight decline on the side of the road, and some bushes beneath it. Grunting, he pushed himself up on his elbows and shifted his weight to the side. He slowly rolled sideways, off the road and down into the bushes. He struck several small rocks on the way, and the bushes were of the thorny kind—several bit into the soft flesh of his body.

The thumping was close now, and he could hear voices shouting to each other. Their words were unclear, but the owners sounded panicked...and young. A boy and a girl...but there were three horses. The bushes shielded him from view, but also allowed him to look up at the road. He forced his eyes to stay open and watched as three shapes rode past. Lightning struck just as they went by, and he saw them as bright as day.

The boy and the girl were wearing cloaks and hoods that covered their faces, but the third person... It wasn't as much a feeling of familiarity, but definitely of recognition. He had seen that man before—recognised him clearly, even with him unconscious and blood streaming from a multitude of wounds, tied to the saddle of the third horse, slumped over. The boy and the girl were arguing, but it was impossible to make out what they were saying.

And then they were gone, having ridden past without noticing him watching them. He steeled himself and prepared for the gruelling climb out of the bushes, anticipating a fight for every step...but the sight of the unconscious man had...invigorated him. Or perhaps it was the sight of his blood. He needed it. He wanted it. He _craved_ it!

He climbed back onto the road, panting from the effort. They would be easy to track—their mounts had left deep tracks in the mud...and a trail of blood. It was no more than a few drops every couple of feet, but his eyes and sense of smell did not deceive him. The iron smell of the red drops found his nose, and he was soon on his knees, licking up the blood, mud and all. The effect was almost immediate, and the world immediately seemed to brighten. His body became lighter, his head clearer. He rose to his feet and looked in the direction the riders had gone. The blood formed a trail, clear as day. He grinned, and began to walk. The man's blood was delicious, even just a few drops of it.

He wanted more.

* * *

Day was breaking by the time Link reached the Water Gate. His body ached from the hard riding he'd been doing the past few weeks, but he wanted to get home as quickly as possible. The letter from Sheik had been brief, as usual, but the words and slightly shaky hand (evidence that his husband had been slightly tipsy while writing it) conveyed that it was high time for the Hero to come back. It had made him feel guilty for being away so much, even though Sheik was always keen on assuring him that he was fine with it, that he understood Link's need to travel.

It was ridiculous. After all those years of never staying in one place too long and fighting two wars in a relatively quick succession, Link had thought he'd finally get some of the rest he'd been looking forward to. After returning to Hyrule, however, he had felt restless and too energetic for his own good, and a torturing sense of utter boredom had filled him whenever he didn't have any particular goal to reach. Sheik had had plenty of things to do after they came home—he had lands and a title to attend to, and once the idea of creating a branch of spies under his command had been uttered he'd been busy constructing the Sheikah fortress, making up curriculums to teach his students, finding stewards, servants and instructors... Link helped where he could, and Sheik was glad of it, but in the end Link had become...well, bored. And then there were the...episodes.

Sheik probably thought Link hadn't noticed, but the Hero was far more observant than his husband believed. Sheik was dying. Oh, it wasn't a quick death, that was for certain. Only someone who saw him every day and in every condition would have noticed, but then it was far too obvious. For every year that passed, Sheik seemed to become...frailer. It wasn't visible anywhere but in their bedchambers...and sometimes during their sparring. He got winded more easily, his strikes weaker too soon into the fight.

His heart was weakening a lot faster than either of them had anticipated, but so far it seemed like Link was the only one who acknowledged it, and Sheik's body was suffering for it. The worst part was during their lovemaking...or immediately after, when they lay tangled and basking in the afterglow. Link _felt_ Sheik's heartbeats...and they were irregular more often than not...or so they had just before the last time Link had left to travel.

The Hero told himself that it was the wanderlust that forced him to leave that time...but the fact was that he was afraid of what Sheik's condition meant and how long his husband had left...and so he'd left, like a coward. He hadn't wanted to be there for Sheik's birthday...or his own, for that matter, though Zelda had put an end to his plan that time. He hated birthdays; each one was a reminder that Sheik's life wouldn't last nearly as long as his own... Neither Sheik nor Zelda knew why Link had gotten so upset on his twenty-fifth birthday, but it was simply because he knew they'd reached a certain point of no return...

Still, he felt guilty about not being there for Sheik's, and he intended to make up for it ten-fold. He'd brought several things from his visit to Termina and other lands...and a promise he'd stay for a long while this time.

He crested a hill and spied the Water Gate in the distance. A smile came to his lips—it was good to be home. As he came closer, however, he noticed that something was clearly amiss. To his surprise, the gate was closed, and the guard presence seemed to have been tripled since he'd left the same way. Archers and crossbowmen lined the battlements, and a dozen spearmen guarded the outside of the gate. They eyed him suspiciously as he rode up and dismounted Epona, slowly approaching them.

"Greetings!" he called to them. There was no reply, only more suspicious staring. It was disconcerting. "Why is the gate closed?" he asked the soldiers.

"New security measures," a corporal replied, straightening his posture. "What do you want?"

"Uh...I'd like to come inside?" Link said slowly. "I've been out travelling and would like to go home."

"Do you have papers?"

"Papers?"

Link was somewhat aware of the concept of travel papers from some of the lands he'd visited, but he didn't know Hyrule needed them.

"Not really," the Hero said, shrugging. "I've been away for a few months."

"No papers, no entry," the man said, grimacing. "Who do you think you are, the princess?"

No, I'm the bloody Hero of Time, he was about to reply, but a whistle from atop the gate got their attention.

"What the hell are you doing, you idiots?!" a man wearing a captain's uniform shouted down at them. "Can't you see who that is?!"

"He doesn't have papers," the corporal shouted back.

"The Hero of Time doesn't need fucking papers! Open the damn gate!"

None of them had recognised Link. He couldn't really blame them, as he wasn't wearing his usual garb. The only green thing he wore was his tunic, which was mostly hidden by his dark blue cloak with white and red threads. His and Sheik's marriage was far from official, but Sheik had argued that Link would definitely be allowed to wear the colours of his House, given that he was part of his household. So far, no one had raised any eyebrows about it. As far as everyone knew, Link was simply part of Sheik's new organisation.

The gate creaked open, and Link smiled and nodded at the suspicious corporal, who'd had the decency to turn a bright red upon realising just whom he'd been harassing. He led Epona through the gatehouse and found that the garrison had swelled to at least five hundred men and women. There had been no more than twenty or so when he'd left. There were no buildings to accommodate the new guards, however, so they had been forced to pitch a small tent city on either side of the road that snaked its way through the fields of Hyrule.

"Hero," the captain greeted as he climbed down from the wall. He looked to be in his early thirties, though he bore old scars on his face. He might have fought in the war, Link realised. "My apologies for the rude reception. We have been forced to upgrade security after the...incident."

"Incident?" Link asked. "What incident?"

"Ah, you haven't heard...of course, you just arrived, you couldn't have known." The captain looked embarrassed. "One of our border gates was attacked a little over two weeks ago. No survivors."

"Attacked? By whom?"

"We have no idea," the captain said with a shrug. "Investigations are still on-going. That's all I have been told, I'm afraid."

"I see..." Link frowned. Who would be stupid enough to attack Hyrule these days? "Is there anything else I should know? I'm afraid I've been out of the loop for a while."

"I suppose you have not heard of the royal visit, then?" the captain asked. When Link shook his head, he said, "Prince Leonthal of the Storm Plains is on his way to Hyrule. Some say he is coming to court the Princess."

"Good luck to him, I say," Link said, chuckling. Zelda had turned down every suitor who had come to her in the past seven years, and he failed to see how this new one would fare any better. Besides, she was happy enough with Tira. "When's he due to arrive?"

"A day or two," the captain said. "I'm surprised you didn't see his party on the road—it's the Water Gate he will come through."

"I've been taking a lot of shortcuts—Epona prefers the open plains anyway," Link said and patted Epona's muzzle. "She seems to go much faster with grass under her hooves than gravel or cobbles."

"I see," the captain said. "Well, you will have a chance to see him soon enough, I reckon. I bet the Princess will invite you to the feast."

"Most likely, yes." Link stretched for a bit and yawned. "Well, if you will excuse me, captain, I should probably get going. I've come a long way and I was hoping to make a stop in Kakariko before I'm summoned to Castle Town."

"Of course, of course," the captain said, saluting. "I am sorry to take up your time."

"No problem," Link said and climbed back into his saddle. "I will speak warmly of you to the Princess, captain..."

"Lyen."

"Captain Lyen, have a good day."

"And you, Hero. Welcome home."

He left the gate with mixed feelings. On one hand he was happy to be home, but the attack worried him. He was unsure of how to feel about the imminent arrival of Prince Leonthal as well, but that was more because he was unfamiliar with the Storm Plains in general. It was one of the places he hadn't visited during his travels, mostly because the name didn't appeal to him. If Zelda hadn't wanted to see him, however, she would simply not allow the prince to enter Hyrule, but it didn't seem that Lyen and his men were there to bar his way.

He shook his head and focused on the road ahead. It would take him along the river that fed from the realm of the Zora. Another day or two and he would reach the bridge, and from there it was a short ride to the limits of Kakariko. The fortress would be completely finished by now, he thought. He was looking forward to seeing it...and his husband.

Epona seemed to be eager to come home as well, as she apparently found a second wind within her. Link rode at a full gallop from the gate until sundown, and she showed no signs of slowing. They both needed sleep, however, and Link made camp within an old circle of standing stones. Someone else had made a camp there not too long ago as well, the remains of an old fire still not completely washed away by the rain. Tired as he was, he did not wish to remain for long. He slept until the first light of dawn crept across the horizon, and then he climbed back into his saddle and continued. By the end of the second day he spied the smoky ring around Death Mountain, and soon after he saw the towers and houses of Kakariko. The Sheikah Fortress stood tall and proud on the hill overlooking the village, built on top of the Shadow Temple. From a distance, it looked like a large, circular tower with turrets and a tall spire sticking out of the top. His and Sheik's apartments were in that spire.

The sight made him spur Epona further on, though she did not need the extra encouragement. She was in just as much of a hurry to see her mate, Maladict, and Shun. They were unlike any other horses Link had ever seen, and far more intelligent.

They crossed the bridge at sundown, and were soon trotting their way through the streets of Kakariko. Nine years ago, the village had been a loose collection of houses that had been hastily built after Impa had allowed non-Sheikah people to live there. The population was over five thousand now, and growing still. A large part of the boom was because of all the people who had been displaced during the war, but many moved there simply because it was a pleasant area to live in. These people weren't prejudiced towards Sheik and his people either, which meant his husband could feel completely safe here.

The villagers shouted greetings and waved at him as he passed their houses and markets, and he smiled and waved back. Knowing that the Hero of Time himself made his residence in the village contributed greatly to their feeling of security as well, it seemed, and they were always happy to see him. He passed by the old mill and remembered how he'd angered the strange musician within after playing the Song of Storms—which _he'd_ taught Link. He wondered what had become of the man—he had not been there after they returned from Lumina.

He spotted the woman he had simply come to call The Cuccoo Lady in his childhood, struggling with her wayward fowls as ever. On any other day he would have volunteered to help her get the damn things back in their coop, but right now he was far more interested in seeing a certain red-eyed beauty. The hill up to the main gate of the fortress took far too long to climb, in his opinion, and his anticipation made him fit to burst by the time he greeted the guards and entered the first courtyard.

Some of the younger students were in the middle of their drills, but all semblance of order came to end once they realised who had arrived. It was like being washed over by a flood as the children flocked around him and Epona, all demanding stories and gifts and trinkets from foreign lands. Some wanted hugs, others wanted to spar with him to show how much they had improved since he'd gone. A sea of smiling faces surrounded him, and Link could do little but smile and indulge the little ones as much as he could. He allowed a couple to take Epona's reins and lead her into the stables. They'd take good care of her, he knew. He gave their instructor a helpless look and a shrug, which was returned. Link doted on the students far too much, everyone knew, but it was too hard to resist sometimes.

He spent the next ten minutes or so giving the students a few small stories of the things he'd seen and done, and tossed them a few of the things he'd found, like flutes and small statues. By the time he managed to wrestle his way out of the crowd, the instructor was shouting for order.

"All right, kids, time to go back to practice!" Link shouted. "Be good and finish, and I promise I'll tell you a real story or two before bed, okay?"

That seemed to placate them somewhat, and they reluctantly went back to their practice, to the instructor's relief. Link watched them for a minute, pleased to notice how much they really had improved. Nodding to himself, he entered the inner courtyard and climbed the central tower. He couldn't wait to embrace Sheik, and kiss him, and...well, do other things. He'd be in his study, Link would wager. The fire would be burning in the hearth, and his husband would be seated in one of the large, comfortable chairs, working his way through some boring book or other. There would be wine, too, or brandy. Or maybe he'd be behind his desk, looking through his finances and accounts, fretting about whether or not he was feeding the children enough, or forgetting to teach them something. He did that a lot—worry. Far too much, in Link's opinion.

To his disappointment, Sheik's study was empty. There was no fire burning, nor were any lamps lit. Sheik clearly hadn't been in it for several days judging by how neat it was. An inspection of their bedchambers yielded similar results, and Sheik was about to go stalking through the entire fortress in search of his husband when one of the stewards, Hyald, caught up to him.

"Master Link, there you are!" the older man panted, his brow red and sweaty. The stairs were not kind to the elderly, Link thought. "I heard of your arrival, but by the time I got to the courtyard you were gone again."

"I was looking for Sheik," Link explained. "Where is he?"

"Lord Sheik left several days ago," Hyald said. "The Princess had an assignment for him. He brought two of the older students, Eren and Nikal."

"Do you know where they went?" He asked the question, but Link already had an inkling as to what the answer would be.

"To the Grass Gate, I believe. It was attacked—"

"And Sheik was sent to investigate," Link finished. "Do you know when he will return?"

"He did not say," the steward said. "However, a messenger bird arrived from Castle Town this morning. It is addressed to you, in fact." He fished around in the enormous sleeves of his robes and withdrew a tightly rolled piece of parchment and handed it to Link. "We assumed you would be arriving soon, especially after Kaiza returned empty-handed."

"I wanted it to be a surprise," Link muttered as he unrolled the parchment. His eyes widened as he saw the hurried scribbling. It was clearly Zelda's handwriting, but it was remarkably scratchy and inelegant. She had clearly been in a hurry while writing it. The message was worse.

_**Link,**_

_**Sheik has been hurt. Come to Castle Town immediately.**_

_**-Zelda**_

His heart was beating wildly by the time he looked back at Hyald with wide eyes.

"I suppose you will not be joining us for supper?" Hyald said sadly. "The children will be disappointed..."

"Sheik's hurt and is in Castle Town."

"Oh no, not grievously, I hope," Hyald said, taking the offered parchment. "And the children?"

"She doesn't say, but the handwriting makes it look urgent. I have to go there," Link explained quickly.

"Master Link, you look exhausted. At least eat something before you get back on the road!" Hyald insisted. If Hyald had a gift, it was his ability to make someone feel guilty. Once he laid those sad eyes on you, it was impossible to resist. "If not for your sake, then at least for your mount. She too must be tired and hungry. I'm certain the students will be happy to see you at least once before you leave again, especially if Lord Sheik has been hurt."

"Should we tell them?" Link asked, already surrendering to the idea of staying for supper. He wanted to see Sheik quickly, but he knew that passing out on the way to Castle Town wouldn't do anyone any good.

"I will break the news after you have left, otherwise you will have to deal with a riot," Hyald said with a sad smile. "Better that I calm them down afterwards, or you will never be allowed to leave."

He wished he had told Hyald he would take his meal in Sheik's solar, because dealing with the students' eager questions and smiles with the knowledge that Sheik lay hurt in Castle Town was pure torture. He tried to smile back and tell them of his travels, but his thoughts kept wandering back to his husband, which killed his smiles and choked his laughter. The students began to pick up on it after a while, and their chatter slowly died down—and that made Link feel even worse. In the end he left his meal half-eaten, bid them all a fond good night and escaped into the main courtyard. Hyald had ensured Epona was fed, brushed and rested before she'd been re-saddled and prepared for another journey.

"I have taken the liberty of filling a pack with food," Hyald said and patted one of the saddlebags. "I assumed you wouldn't be able to eat much after all. Do be careful, Master Link."

"I will be, Hyald. Thank you."

Luckily, Castle Town wasn't too far away from Kakariko—no more than half a day with Epona's full speed. With any luck they wouldn't encounter any nasty Stalchildren either. As he left the Sheikah Fortress, he realised he'd been there for less than three hours. That had to be some kind of a record.

Hopefully, he'd be back soon enough.

* * *

The tavern was unusually full that night. The impending royal visit had brought plenty of other travellers to Hyrule, and they were spending their nights in places like this, drinking and whoring until they passed out. The air smelled of smoke, sweaty bodies, ale and other strong drinks, and finding somewhere to sit had proved to be a struggle in itself. By the time he _had_ found somewhere to sit, however, people seemed to pull away from him. Perhaps he was exuding some unpleasant aura that kept the others at bay?

He smiled behind his cowl. No, he was projecting a low-level magic field that repelled anyone who got too close. It was one of his more useful spells. It was nearly undetectable, and a good way to ensure no one came too close without hurting them needlessly. Besides, he had never cared much for places like these, but they served as useful meeting places. Too many voices for anyone to listen in to conversations and such. Some might find it strange for someone to sit with a hood and cowl in such sweltering heat, but he had paid for his wine (although with stolen rupees) and somewhere to sit. The innkeeper certainly wouldn't bother him after that.

She came to him then, already deep in her disguise. She wore the clothes of a tavern wench, though the clothes looked slightly strange on her. Her physique did not match the cut of her outfit—they were made for someone dumpier than her. She carried a tray of ale and distributed the tankards among some of the patrons and suffered through the perverted and highly predictable jokes they made towards her. He was impressed with the self-control she was exhibiting, especially after one of the drunker customers slapped her on the behind. Any other time, any other place, she would have broken every finger as well as his arm for that...if she didn't just cut the fool's throat and rid the world of his stupidity. Instead, she smiled good-naturedly and giggled. She tucked the tray under her arm and looked to be heading back to the counter, when she noticed him (or pretended to notice him, anyway) and sat down in a theatrical display of taking his order.

"You're going to ruin everything," she hissed. Her eyes were azure, her hair the colour of the bright desert sands to the west. Her pointed ears marked her as a Hylian, though he doubted she had ever been to Hyrule before. She was beautiful, even with the scowl she was giving him. "An entire village? What is the matter with you?"

"The Sheikah was dispatched to investigate the border incident," he explained calmly. "I could not help myself—I wanted to see what we would be up against."

"After you yourself said we should keep a low profile?"

"I didn't kill any of them, and I certainly didn't start the fires," he said. "Cooking pits are so dangerous... And yes, I realise I went against my own words—but such is the privilege of being leader: I get to change the plan whenever I want to."

"Not at our expense," she said. "What if you'd gotten killed, or captured? Would you have been able to keep our identities secret at the hands of the Sheikah?"

"That was never an issue," he assured her. "The Sheikah is weaker than I expected."

"But you didn't kill him," she noted.

"No, I have a feeling he will be far more useful alive than dead. Besides, he didn't come alone. But worry not, he did not see my face, nor does he know why I am here. As far as he knows I am simply a mad warlock roaming the countryside and making villagers disappear."

"What did you do with them, anyway?"

"They're in a safe place," he said. "They will come in handy in the future, both as test subjects and, if necessary, shields."

She sighed and shook her head. "As long as your impatience doesn't come back to bite us in the ass."

"It won't."

"You should have killed the Sheikah."

She left then and slipped back into her role. He drained his wine and left the tavern, wondering where the others had gone and what sort of covers they had assumed. The one he'd sent to cause trouble in Castle Town had yet to play his hand, but that would happen soon enough. The royal visit would be a good time for the attack to happen.

He paused at a crossroads and looked up the street. The Princess' castle loomed ahead, bright and shining with lights.

"Soon," he murmured and continued on his way.

_To be continued…_

* * *

**Oh dear...**

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	8. The Ride

**Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda, its characters and locations are all property of Nintendo. Any and all OCs and original locations belong to me unless specifically stated to belong to someone else.**

* * *

**Soul Secrets**

**Chapter 8**

* * *

His entire body was in complete agony, and it felt like his arm had been cut off and sewn back on by a blind amateur with rheumatism and a shoddy sense of workmanship. His chest felt strange, and the mere act of opening his eyes was a battle for the ages. Upon opening them, he was blinded by the glare of the oil lantern by his bedside. His arm was in a sling, kept mostly immobilised by the linen.

_Whose bed is this?_ he wondered. _More importantly, where am I?_

He tried to voice these questions aloud, but all that came out of his mouth was a pained groan. There was a shuffling sound to his left, and he slowly turned his head towards it, his neck protesting painfully the entire time. There was an alarming crack as well. The relieved face of Princess Zelda came into view, and he felt the tension melt from his body immediately.

"You're awake," she said, smiling and reaching out to brush the bangs from his face. "Thank the Goddesses."

It was a habit that died hard, thanking the gods who had died long ago. Sheik found himself doing it as well, and it never felt right... In fact, sometimes it felt downright hypocritical. Not that he ever said this to anyone—especially not Zelda. There was already enough misery for her to contend with if he wasn't going to call her devotion to dead gods into question as well.

"What happened?" he croaked. His throat was parched and felt like someone had poured sand into it. He tried to ask for water, but the words became stuck. Zelda wordlessly poured water into a cup and gently lifted his head and helped him drink. It was ice-cold and refreshing. "Where—"

"You were hurt," Zelda said. "Quite badly."

"Oh, really? I hadn't noticed." She rolled her eyes. He mirrored the action. "My students..."

"They're fine, don't worry," she assured him. "They've been by your side ever since they brought you here. I had to chase them out of here so they could get some rest, not that they listened to me. I believe they're out on the streets right now, either exploring it or trying to find information about this warlock." She helped him with another sip of water. "I cannot believe how stupid you were."

He blinked. "What?"

"You went up against an enemy warlock all by yourself, with no backup but your two students," she scolded. "Inexperienced as they are, even _they_ could feel how powerful he was! What were you thinking?"

"He spirited away the entire population of a village," he tried to explain. "I was supposed to let him go?"

"Someone of that power level would be easy to track down later," she said. "So yes, you should have retreated. You're lucky he didn't kill you."

"He wouldn't have, either way," Sheik replied, groaning as he tried to sit up. Zelda helped him with that as well. "He said as much."

"Yes, Nikal and Eren told me that," she said, sighing. "They didn't hear everything he told _you_, however, and I'd like to hear it now, if you can recall."

He did recall, though everything after the lightning blast was a blur apart from his arm being wrenched from its socket. He told Zelda every word, and her frown deepened with each one. By the time he finished, she was pacing around the bedchambers, which he recognised as the princess' own. Her cane tapped loudly against the stone floor with each step.

"The truth?" she asked. "Lumina?"

"That was what he said," Sheik confirmed, his head spinning slightly from the effort of sitting up.

"Do you think he knows what happened?" she said.

"I'm not sure what other truths he could have been speaking about. Everything else that happened during that war came to light soon after it ended, especially after the kingdom fell apart."

The distrust between the various factions and noble families of Lumina had grown so strong after King Victor's funeral that the nation itself had effectively ceased to exist after the council had been unable to choose a new bloodline to be elevated to royal status. The major cities, ruled by the noble houses, all declared their independence and became separate city states instead, taking inspiration from Lady Ise, Patrician of Caldhaven. Every now and then one of the cities would declare war upon the others and a series of meaningless battles and skirmishes would be fought until a tentative peace could be reached, only to be broken again half a year later.

"How?" she asked. "How could he possibly have learned what happened? We all swore to take it to our graves!"

"Someone's tongue has waggled," Sheik said, shrugging. He regretted it when his right arm suddenly felt like it had been set aflame. He grunted and massaged his shoulder lightly with his left hand. "It could be anyone's."

She gave him a look. "I doubt Link or Tira will have said anything. I know _you_ would rather die than betray your word. So we are left with..."

"Jedistern Tadian, General Vortan, Ard, Lor, Kafei, Elenwe and the two soldiers," Sheik finished. "I doubt Tadian, Vortan, my cousin or Elenwe would be say anything. I'm unsure of Ard and Lor...as for the soldiers...well, soldiers aren't the most complicated of people. Wine and coin could be enough."

"Unless they gave up the information unwillingly," Zelda pointed out. "The warlock could have tortured them."

"Very true," he conceded. "Anyway, how he came by the information is unimportant as he already has. What matters is what he intends to do with it."

"Make Hyrule suffer." She sank into her chair by the bed, looking exhausted. "And bring justice to the world—was that not what he said? Does he believe that the calamity Feror visited upon the world was our doing? That the destruction was caused by his death? If we had not intervened, he would have killed everyone."

"Perhaps that is exactly what he believes," Sheik said. "Or perhaps he knows the truth and has decided to bend it to fit his own motives. It's impossible to know."

"Either way, this is quickly shaping into a new nightmare," the princess said.

"Which means we've no time to waste," Sheik said, wincing as he threw the covers off himself, realising too late that, apart from the sling, he was quite naked. He blushed as he quickly covered himself up. "Where are my clothes?"

"The ones not ruined by the mud and battle are being laundered," Zelda explained. "However, until you have gotten more rest and healed up, you will remain right there in that bed."

"Zelda, I need to get up and out. I have to find this warlock and stop him before he hurts more people, my students—"

"I have already ordered several of my scouts to roam the fields and try to locate the man, Sheik, as well as look for the missing villagers. Your students have had a harrowing experience, watching their teacher and master almost get killed on their first mission. Your arm was nearly torn off, Sheik, and the lightning has done untold damage to your body otherwise, and...your heart..."

Sheik sighed. "It's been beating irregularly for years, hardly worthy of note." His chest was feeling stranger than usual, though he refused to acknowledge it. The last thing he needed to know right now was whether his already shortened lifespan had been cut even further by the warlock's attack. "Now, if you won't give me my clothes, I will have to find some on my own."

"Search all you'll like," Zelda said, shaking her head at his stubbornness. "All you will find in here are _my_ clothes."

"They fit me better anyway," Sheik said, trying to joke his way back on duty, but the princess was having none of it.

"By all means, Sheiky, if you'd like to try on my outfits, have at it. You will still not be permitted to leave this room, much less the bed. Until the physician gives you a clear bill of health, you are confined to it."

"Fetch the physician, then, and I'll be out of here in no time."

"She's not here yet," Zelda said, rising from her chair and limping towards the door. "It will probably be a few days until then, so you might as well get comfortable."

"She?" Sheik asked.

"An old friend," Zelda offered as explanation.

It took an embarrassingly long time for Sheik to realise who she meant—and once he did, he felt chills go down his back. "Please...not her!"

"Oh yes," Zelda said, grinning slightly. "And she will have a field day with you." She reached for the doorknob. "Anyway, I have royal duties to attend to, and you need to get some more rest. I will have food sent up to you in an hour. In the meantime, there's someone who is really anxious to see you...though I highly doubt allowing this meeting will do your health any good. Nevertheless..."

She said no more, opening the door to her chambers and leaving Sheik to his pain and misery. As she disappeared out of sight, Tira appeared, right on her tail. She paused slightly and gave Sheik a respectful nod of greeting before disappearing as well. Sheik sighed and began to wonder how he was going to pass the time. He closed his eyes and rested his head on the pillows of Zelda's bed.

The door slammed shut, and Sheik's eyes flew open, landing on the figure. Its features were obscured the darkness outside of the lamplight, but there was no mistaking the profile. Sheik smiled.

"Hell of a time to come back," he said as Link strode forward and slipped off his cloak and pulled off his boots. His tunic followed, and he was soon climbing into the bed.

"Just in the nick of it, I'd say," Link replied as he straddled Sheik, his knees on either side of the Sheikah's hips, careful not to jostle him. "When are you ever going to learn that trying to do everything by yourself is only going to get you hurt?"

"As soon as you learn where it's appropriate to do things like that," Sheik replied.

"So, never," the Hero of Time said as he leaned down and gently kissed Sheik. "Goddesses, I've missed you," he whispered when their lips parted. "When I went to the fortress and Hyald told me you'd gotten yourself hurt, I..."

"Shhh." Sheik leaned up, ignoring his protesting muscles and silenced the Hero with a kiss of his own. "I'm fine."

"You don't look it."

"Neither do you. You've been riding so much you walk bow-legged."

"I was in a hurry to come home...and do this." Link kissed him again, but it was hungrier this time, and his tongue pleaded entrance to Sheik's mouth, which Sheik was more than happy to give. Things turned heated, and they were both panting by the time Link kissed his way down Sheik's throat, pausing to mark his neck.

When Sheik felt Link's tongue flick over his sensitive nipples, his breath caught in his throat, and he shook his head. "Link—ah...I don't...mmm...I'm not really in any sort of shape for...hah..._that_..."

"I know," Link said, smiling up at his husband. "So let me take care of everything...you just lie back and relax...and enjoy..."

Sheik took the meaning immediately, but it still didn't sit right with him—not in their respective conditions, not to mention the location. "You've been riding for days—"

"And now I'll ride some more," the Hero said with wink—and with that Sheik's resolve broke.

The last thing he thought as Link continued was, _Zelda's going to kill us for fucking in her bed._

* * *

Tira stood by Zelda's side as she held another court session, though she noticed that the princess' heart was not in it. Her answers were short and not particularly thought out. She was preoccupied by something, Tira knew, and she certainly didn't blame her, with Lord Sheik's injury and all. He was out of danger, however, so why Zelda wouldn't be able to concentrate now was confusing. She had done everything she could about the warlock—search parties and scouts had been sent to look for him, and guard shifts had been doubled in numbers and duration.

Once the session was over, Zelda sighed and rose from her throne. "Have you ever felt like there is just too many things to do and there is far too little time to do them?" she asked Tira as they headed for the princess' study.

"At times," Tira admitted. "Though I imagine you have a great deal more on your plate than I."

"I would be lying if I said I didn't feel that way, at times," Zelda said. "I wouldn't presume to have a more difficult life than most—I only have other things to deal with. This warlock..."

"If you are not able to find him before Lord Sheik's recovery, I am sure he will track him down. With the Hero's help—"

"Right, nothing can stand against those two," Zelda said, smiling. "I just wish I could keep him from getting hurt, for once. Either of them, actually. Honestly, I don't think Sheik will be able to survive another assault like that. He was already frail before the warlock electrocuted him."

"He is sturdier than he appears, Your Grace. He is also too smart to fall for the same trick twice. Should they meet again, I am certain Lord Sheik will ensure that _he_ has all the advantages, not the warlock."

"One can hope," Zelda replied. "Hopefully, I'll be able to find and neutralise him before it becomes an issue. Prince Leonthal's party crossed the border earlier this morning and will arrive at Castle Town soon. I cannot have an enemy warlock running around while I'm trying to entertain the prince."

The princess looked exhausted by the time they reached the door to her study. She had spent hours by Sheik's bedside and slept very little since his students had brought him broken and bleeding to the castle. She was going to insist that the princess got some proper sleep that night. When she made to follow Zelda inside, the princess barred her way.

"You've been working hard these past few days, Tira," she said, smiling gently. "Take the rest of the day for yourself."

"Your Grace, I—"

"That is an order." It was firm, and left no room for argument. Tira frowned. Zelda had never done that before. She could do little but nod respectfully as the princess closed the door behind her, leaving Tira alone in the corridor. Thank the Goddesses no one had been there to see that, otherwise she'd be feeling embarrassed. Had she presumed too much? Had the princess tired of her? Surely it was only the stress of the situation that was getting to Zelda, and the princess needed some time to herself?

She shook her head. What the hell was she doing? She was a bodyguard, and Zelda was a princess—she had no right to feel spurned or annoyed by this. For all she knew, the princess might have been contemplating accepting Prince Leonthal's courtship and eventual proposal. It wouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Hell, it might even be a relief to many. It would finally make Zelda a queen, for one, and it would certainly strengthen Hyrule's position with the Storm plains as an ally...

It didn't make sense, though. As she shuffled off to her quarters to remove her plate armour and wash herself at her basin. As she donned a more comfortable outfit, she began to wonder why Zelda would accept Leonthal in particular as her future husband. The Storm Plains, as a kingdom, were still young and in a fledgling state. They had a powerful military and had no shortage of food or trade goods...but compared to many of the other older and more powerful kingdoms and states around the world they were but a speck of dirt.

Pondering on it wouldn't help, though, and she tried to purge all thoughts of what Zelda might be planning from her head as she put on a comfortable tunic and a pair of loose-fitting trousers. The entire city was mobilising to receive the prince and his party, and she was interested in seeing what new and creative ways the population had come up with to suck them all dry. With any luck she might even hear something about the warlock. She removed her sword belt, but kept her dagger—Castle Town was supposedly safer than most other cities of comparable size, but it would be foolish not to bring something with which to geld any attackers.

On her way out, she decided to stop by Zelda's study out of habit, just to make sure the princess wouldn't need her for the rest of the day. She paused, however, upon rounding a corner and seeing a man standing by the princess' door. She ducked behind the corner and peeked out. Zelda's door was open, and the princess' voice could be heard murmuring quietly to the man, who replied just as silently. They exchanged a few words, and then the princess closed her door, leaving the man alone. He was middle-aged and balding, though his physique was strong and muscular. He was holding a purse that clinked heavily with rupees. Nodding to himself, he left the corridor and headed for the castle doors.

It was none of Tira's business if Zelda wanted to have secrets. It was her privilege as the monarch, and if she did not want to include Tira in her plans, then so be it...

...even so, Tira found herself stalking the man as he left the castle and wound his way through the streets of Castle Town. It was an unusually rainy day, and the air was cold and humid. The man went out of his way to avoid the crowded squares and market streets, and every now and then he paused to ensure that no one was following him. Tira ducked into alleys and behind booths and crates, staying out of sight whenever the man turned. She had learned quite a bit from watching Lord Sheik train his students.

She followed him to the manufacturing district, a fairly new addition to Castle Town, built on the old ruins from the war with Ganondorf. The events in Lumina had shown the princess that Hyrule was falling behind when it came to technology, and she had decided to take it upon herself that it would be on the forefront instead, hiring engineers and purchasing designs from all over the world. She had banned weapons research, however, having seen the terrible destruction Lumina's weapons were capable of.

The man stopped by one of the construction halls and slipped into one of the side doors. Zelda and Tira had visited this particular facility at some point the year before, where they were developing new farming equipment and machines. Why in the world Zelda would engage in such cloak-and-dagger actions regarding those, Tira had no idea.

That alone was reason enough to follow the man inside.

The door led into a small storage room, where another door presumably led into the manufacturing hall proper. She cracked open that door and peeked out. The air was filled with the smells of metal, oil and burning wood. The sounds of hammers and saws were almost deafening. Towards the end of the hall, three gigantic furnaces burned. The air was swelteringly hot, and Tira was already sweating by the time she found the man again. Creeping behind the undercarriage of some sort of machine, she saw him talking to a group of builders and engineers. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but it wasn't necessary either. Her attention was drawn to the things they were building, instead.

They were not yet finished, but there was no mistaking the shapes and profiles of cannons, mortars and other weapons they had seen in Lumina. Some were mounted on racks similar to those found on _The Chimera_, a mighty airship that had almost spelled the doom of General Vortan and his loyalists during the war.

This couldn't be—Zelda had distinctly forbidden these sorts of weapons in Hyrule! Tira clenched her jaw and studied the walls of the hall, seeing designs and blueprints for even more war machines. Some sort of covered wagon with a ring of cannons poking out from armour-like plating, a harvesting machine that had clearly been repurposed for combat, its blades razor-sharp and capable of cutting up any infantry formation...

At first Tira was certain that Zelda had paid the man to stop building these weapons, but when she saw that many of the blueprints had the Triforce symbol on it...

She left the hall with her mind buzzing, unable to believe what she had just seen. How could...why would...how?

She went to the nearest tavern and ordered the strongest drink they had, downing it in one gulp and ordering another. Seating herself in a corner, she closed her eyes and tried to analyse the situation at hand. Zelda forbade weapons like these after seeing what they could do in Lumina, and yet now she was supposedly building them in secret? None of them seemed to have been completed yet, which meant that the order must have been fairly recent. No earlier than a month, or so... She took a sip, grimacing at the burning feeling in her throat. It coincided perfectly with Zelda's newest dream... What had she seen that would cause her to break her own law? The manufacturing district was set to expand very soon as well, if the latest city plans were to be believed...was she going to build her own airships as well?

She made a decision at that moment. Zelda had dodged her questions long enough; it was time to get some answers.

* * *

Nikal stared at the remains of the old cuckoo coop. The roof had collapsed, and the owner had clearly not bothered to have it repaired. The wood was rotting, and the inside was infested with rats. Goddesses knew what had happened to the cuckoos themselves—probably eaten by the tavern's patrons...however many were left. The business seemed to have gone badly, judging by the shabby look of the tavern itself.

The rain had soaked through her clothes hours ago, and she was shivering. Even so, she was unable to take her eyes off the coop that had been her home for two years after Ganondorf's soldiers killed her family and burned her house.

They hadn't been rich—her father was a cobbler and her mother a serving wench, but they had been comfortable. Her parents had both been outspoken against Ganondorf's occupation, and he had retaliated by beheading her father, hanging her mother and giving her sister to his soldiers. Nikal had never seen her again after that, but it was not difficult to figure out what had happened to her—there were plenty of unmarked graves out there. Nikal would have suffered the same fate had she not been able to kick the man holding her in a certain place and running away, disappearing in the maze that was the back alleys Castle Town.

The tavern owner had never realised she slept in his cuckoo coop at night...or if he had, he didn't care. She had fallen in with a group of other orphans and survived by stealing from the enemy soldiers and other things...some of which they weren't proud of. Some of the older kids had even taken to killing drunken, isolated soldiers when they had a chance, as a sort of revenge. Nikal had never participated in that, but she hadn't spoken against it either—the enemy deserved it, in her mind.

She had been taken in by one of the orphanages after Princess Zelda had returned and taken her kingdom back, but she had never been able to truly settle down. The crowded orphanage had felt like a prison, and restlessness filled her every day. She had acted out, arguing and fighting with the other children. She usually won, and on the occasions where she had found herself outnumbered she had given more than she'd got. The adults were at their wit's end with her, and she was sure that more than a few wanted to simply kick her out on the street.

And then Lord Sheik—Master—had come. He had seemed anything but a lord at the time. He'd worn simple clothes and spoken gently and quietly. Everyone knew who he was; his eyes gave him away. Nikal had heard about the last Sheikah, who was Princess Zelda's bodyguard—and according to some, secret lover—and confidante. His actions during the war had been decisive for their victory, and when he announced that he was looking for volunteers for an information-gathering organisation, she leapt at the chance, and never looked back.

Until now. This part of Castle Town had never been one of the 'nicer' neighbourhoods, but it had clearly not improved since she'd left it. Large parts of it had been destroyed in the final battle that had liberated the city, and not much effort had been put into rebuilding it. Most of the people who'd lived here seemed to have moved on to the other parts of the city...except the tavern owner, apparently, if it was still even the same man.

She couldn't find her old home. Chances were that the building their apartment had been in was destroyed during the battle...or she simply couldn't remember what it looked like. She was unsure of how to feel about it—on one hand it was one less attachment to dwell on. Master had always told them to be weary about those... On the other hand, this left her with no sense of history. She might as well have lived on the streets her entire life until the orphanage and then the Sheikah Fortress. She didn't want that, didn't want to lose the few parts of herself that were left.

She shivered slightly, and sneezed. She shook her head and sighed, wondering why she was standing out in the rain being miserable. The tavern wasn't even the reason for why she was out here—she was looking for clues about the warlock. After ensuring that Master wasn't about to die and would make a full recovery, she and Eren had discussed what they had seen and heard, and come to the conclusion that the only place the warlock would go after trouncing Master in such an unfair fight would be Castle Town. Where else would he go, if it were Hyrule he intended to bring his justice to, whatever that meant?

So they had made enquiries in all the taverns and seedy locations, showing the sun symbol they had found in Blackbrook and at the border to shady types who would know. So far, they had found nothing.

"This is where you lived, isn't it?"

She masked her surprise well; she hadn't even heard Eren approach her from behind, too caught up in her thoughts. She nodded. "Yeah...it looked better back then. I swept out the coop every day."

Eren blinked under his hood, unsure whether or not she was joking. She gave him no hints. "Well, if you're done reminiscing, maybe we should continue searching for clues." He turned and stalked away, out of the alley. He was wearing his armour—they both were. They wanted to take no chances with the warlock, should they find him...or someone who worked with him. Not that the boiled leather would do much to stop a fireball or a lightning bolt, but it certainly made Nikal feel slightly more protected.

"I wasn't reminiscing," she insisted. "I found it by accident."

"Sure you did," Eren replied, snorting. "Doesn't matter, though. This entire neighbourhood is more or less dead—the people won't even talk to me. I think it's to do with the way I introduce myself. Turns out Master really isn't popular in this part of town, and saying you're on his business is just going to get the door slammed in your face."

"He's not popular anywhere," she said. "Sheikah, remember?"

"You don't need to remind me, Nik. Father made sure that I knew the Sheikah were evil, untrustworthy and liable to slit my throat should I even look at them wrong. He even made me recite a mantra every morning: 'Never trust a Sheikah' over and over again until he was satisfied."

"Didn't seem to stick, though," she noted.

"Why would it?" he asked, shrugging. "I'd never met or even _seen_ a Sheikah until Master turned up at our mansion, asking for volunteers."

"That must have pleased your father."

"To no end. I swear, I have never seen him get his sword out faster than when he saw that crimson eye on Master's tabard."

"He attacked him?" She had to pause at that. Drawing a sword on the princess' men incurred severe punishment. Lord Sheik must have been livid at that.

"Father never had a chance," Eren said. "Master disarmed him in seconds with a deku nut and a grapple. Didn't even say anything until Father yielded. Master even helped him up and apologised for the trouble afterwards, and then he politely asked if any of his sons or daughters would be interested in being trained and working for him. I was already sold when Father's back had hit the floor, so I immediately said yes. I'm a third son, so I stand to inherit nothing when he dies, so why the hell not? I even laughed when Father said he'd disinherit me if I went with Master."

They reached a busy square and squeezed their way through the crowds. Even in the driving rain the people of Castle Town were taking to the streets, if only to look at the numerous booths and tents that were being erected all over town, their owners hoping to see some additional business. There were several pubs on this street, and they agreed to split up to cover more ground.

The first two pubs were a bust; no one had ever seen or heard about the mark, much less the events at the border and Blackbrook. At the third, she decided to take a break and get some warmth back in her body. She ordered a cup of watered wine and seated herself on a rough bench by the fireplace, shivering slightly. The patrons gave her odd looks, taking in her clothing and armour, not to mention the sword on her back. Once she graduated, she'd be allowed to wear the Sheikah Eye on her cloak and tunic—that would certainly draw even more attention, but she'd be wielding a great deal of authority then.

She drew out the scrap and looked at the strange sun mark again. It seemed so benign—the sun had always been a positive sign to her, but now, with the dead border guards and the missing population of Blackbrook, it was turning sinister. Her instructors had taught her that symbols, emblems and heraldry always had meanings behind them. She could not figure out the sun part, but the rays...surely that had something to do with a number. Six...six...six...attacks? Warnings? Appearances? Was there more than just the warlock involved, perhaps six conspirators or some such?

Her brooding was getting her no closer, but the fire was certainly helping her spirit...or perhaps that was the wine, even though it wasn't very strong.

"Can I get you some more, sweetie?"

Nikal looked up. The serving woman was smiling at her, her blue eyes shining in the firelight. "Er, no thank you, I'm fine," she replied.

"Just as well," the woman replied, nodding approvingly. "This ain't a place where a lovely thing like yourself will be wantin' to drop her guard...even if you look capable of defendin' yourself just fine."

Her words were friendly enough, Nikal supposed, but there was an odd edge to the way the woman spoke them. Her eyes weren't even on hers as she spoke—but on the sun on the scrap of cloth.

"Do you recognise this?" she asked abruptly, holding it out to the woman, who refused to take it. She seemed nervous.

"No," she answered, though her tone was anything but convincing.

"Please, this was found at the site of an attack at the border," Nikal lied—the fewer who knew of the events at Blackbrook, the better, and there were a lot of ears in a place like this. "We have no idea who was responsible, but if you can tell me anything about this symbol and its significance, I would be extremely grateful. The _crown_ would be extremely grateful!"

"I don't know anything about it, I said," the woman hissed. "And I don't care much for your accusations!"

"I'm not accusing you of anything, I just—"

"Get out, before I have Big Quarl hurl you through a window!"

A huge man standing by the door was roused by the woman's shriek and was looking towards her and Nikal—presumably this Big Quarl fellow—along with every other patron of the bar. They were giving her disapproving and suspicious looks.

They know what I am, she thought. They know who I work for—and they hate me for it.

Knowing that there was no point in trying to get any information from the woman at this point, she nodded and stood. "I apologise for the trouble—it was not my intention to cause it. I will leave."

But I won't forget your face or where you work, she thought.

She was smiling by the time she was back out in the rain. She had just found their first lead. She went to find Eren, certain that he had had the same idea as her in one of the other pubs.

* * *

In an alley, a pair of eyes watched Nikal pass by. Their owner sniffed the air, and her scent filled his nose. It was...familiar.

Hunger was filling him again—the blood on the road had not been enough. He'd tried to find the injured man upon arriving in the city, but the trail had ended beyond the gates—there were too many smells and other trails to distinguish his unique one.

But he recognised hers—it was the girl who'd been with the injured man! If he followed her, caught her, then perhaps she would lead him to the injured man. Yes, that would do for now.

He nodded to himself, satisfied, and rose to his feet. His entire body ached...hopefully that would be alleviated by more blood. He sniffed the air again, caught her scent, and began to follow...

* * *

_To be continued…_

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